Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have A Queen?
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Years ago, before he, Itachi, and Shisui had fled the Leaf and arrived in Earthland, Sasuke could remember his mother reading him fairytales. They always involved a beautiful princess. He had enjoyed those stories, but none of them had prepared him for Erza. After all, who needed a princess, when you could have a Queen? (Or the dragons, did he mention the dragons)?
1. Chapter 1

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have A Queen?

 **Silver's Author's Note:** This story is a collaboration between myself and _**Celestia193**_. We've decided to scrap our other Naruto x Fairy Tail Crossover and replace it with this one. In this tale, Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui escape before the Uchiha Massacre. Oh and for anyone wondering, a superfan in this context is a fan who believes that the main character(s) is or are all powerful and can immediately fix any problem. Superfans probably won't like this. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, we hope that you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Seeing as our last attempt at a crossover got a lot of 'super-fans' coming out of the woodwork to scream at us, we've decided to make an entirely new Naruto x Fairy Tail crossover. Hopefully, this one goes over better, since there's no god-modding involved. Now, keep in mind that Itachi is far more suggestible when Shisui is involved, so that has been taken into consideration here. Also, as Shisui is alive, Itachi's Sharingan is not yet fully developed. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this version better than the last one. 'Super-fans' with unwanted 'opinions' may exit stage left.

 **Characterization and Abilities:** Because the Uchihas have spent so much time in Earthland, you will likely notice some differences in regards to their personalities. The Massacre was a major event and completely changed Itachi's and Sasuke's lives. So their personalities differ in some respects, but we're going to keep their core personality traits. As for abilities, we will be keeping some or most of their Naruto abilities and likely adding some Fairy Tail Style attacks as well. It's only natural that they would adapt their fighting styles to a certain extent to their environment.

 **Disclaimer:** We own absolutely nothing from either anime and make no profit off of any of our stories on this site.

Chapter 1

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. That was where Shisui had just gone. He had always known that tensions were lingering under the surface of the Hidden Leaf, particularly with his clan and the rest of the village. Never had he truly believed this moment would come though. The moment when another Leaf Ninja would try to steal his eyes and plot their demise. The demise of their entire family line.

"I-ITACHI!" It felt like his lungs were literally on fire as he struggled to breathe and call out his cousin's name. "I-ITACHI!" He had been running for what seemed liked days, but he knew in reality had only been a few minutes. Had he not been known as Shisui of the Body Flicker, he'd probably be dead. In the end, that was what had saved his neck. Well more specifically his eyes. Danzo had tried to steal his eyes and he would try again.

As much as he reviled the man, Shisui knew he was intelligent. The councilman was highly unlikely to storm into the Uchiha District by himself and try to cut his eyes out when he was surrounded by his family. For now, he was relatively safe. He had bought them time. Not much time, but enough.

With that in mind, he races inside one of the many family homes in the District. The home that belonged to the Head Family. To his surprise, it wasn't Itachi that he found immediately in the other Uchiha's room. "Sasuke?" He blinks in confusion. "W-What are you doing here?"

He knew that Itachi was closer to his baby brother than perhaps anyone else in his clan, even him. "Waiting for big brother. He said he'd be back soon." For some reason though, it stunned him to see the innocent child drawing a picture while presumably waiting for his older brother to return. Sasuke would die in the massacre as well. His age wouldn't save him. He'd have to take him with them.

There was no way that Itachi would ever agree to come otherwise and honestly, looking into those bubble eyes, Shisui couldn't leave him behind either. "G-Good." He manages to nods his head shakily. "That's v-very good because we're going on a trip."

Sasuke tilts his head in confusion. "Are you alright?" His eyes widen. "You're bleeding!" Indeed, a kunai had scraped his cheek and grazed him. That was really the least of Shisui's problems though.

"Yes, I'm fine." He smiles at Sasuke. "It was just...an accident." An accident that he had mistakenly believed that Danzo wouldn't really be this evil, but he'd never make that mistake again. "How soon did Itachi say that he'd be back again?" He looks at the boy, trying to will his heart to stop pounding.

"He said he was going to get more crayons." Sasuke smiles innocently. "So he'll be back really soon!"

Crayons. Gods and goddesses this kid was really too innocent to be drawn into any of this! "Right. Sasuke, do you know how to pack for missions? They taught you at school, right?"

Sasuke nods excitedly. "Yeah! Iruka Sensei showed us that last week." He rolls his eyes. "Naruto, is really bad at it, but I was the best!" He smiles, obviously feeling rather pleased with himself.

Well that was good at least. "Why don't you go make us three traveling packs while we wait. Make sure to stuff as much food, money, water, medicine, clothes, and weapons into them as you can fit." He might as well use this time productively. "As fast as you can! It'll be good practice for later!" Only later was now, but he didn't want to frighten the boy.

Sasuke nods and quickly scurries off to do so. "Thank goodness they're all so eager to please at that age." Kids at that age were always so eager to show that they could do something. To be helpful. "Now, we just have to wait for Itachi." He sighs as he looks around the room anxiously.

"Wait for me for what?" Itachi pokes his head into the room, having seen Sasuke racing into the kitchen after hearing Shisui's voice coming from his room. "And why is Sasuke racing about like he is playing ninja?" His eyes narrows as he approaches the bed to see his cousin's disheveled state, and the drying blood on his face. "…What's happened?"

"Shisui told me to make traveling packs!" Sasuke chimes merrily as he continues zooming around.

"Ah, that's very good, it's good practice…" Seeing as Sasuke was rather excited about it, Itachi doubted that he was aware of the rather heavy atmosphere surrounding their cousin. He drops his voice to a whisper. "And now the truth, before Sasuke returns?"

Shisui sighs as he braces himself. "Danzo just tried to steal my eyes." He knew that this wouldn't be easy for Itachi. Sasuke was young enough he might think it was just an adventure. "I escaped, but only just. We need to go, Itachi. Horrible things are about to happen." That they were playing ninja with Sasuke or just practicing. Not Itachi, though. Not the youngest of the ANBU captains. "I have a place we can go that might be safer, but we have to go now. Danzo won't attack us in the District, but he'll try again." Thankfully, Sasuke was just out of earshot now.

Itachi's blood runs ice cold, knowing full well how special Shisui's eyes were. "Danzo fears us, fears our powers, doesn't he?" As a member of the ANBU, Itachi knew full well that Danzo was the village's darkness. He served a purpose, if a vile one, and one that Itachi would rather there not be a need for at all. "What is he planning to do, Shisui? Why do we have to leave?"

"We have two options, Itachi." He hated that this moment had come. "We can leave or we will be forced to make a choice in the very near future." Shisui lets out a shaky breath as he feels tears welling up in his eyes, but he refused to cry. "We can leave now or we can stay. If you choose the latter, he is planning to have you kill our entire clan."

How could he possibly explain this to his beloved cousin? To his best friend? "If you do not, there will be a war. Our clan has been whispering about a coup for awhile now. Those whispers are starting to grow louder." He was certain that Itachi had heard them. "Even if we win a civil war, the Leaf will be left in tatters and other villages will take advantage of it. At least this way, we can escape with our lives."

This was wrong to use such blackmail against Itachi, but there was no other way to save at least two of his family members. "And Sasuke can live. At best, perhaps you could convince Danzo to spare him because of his age, but he would be alone." He'd never be the same, especially if he found out Itachi did it. Those bubble eyes would quickly be replaced by red eyes burning with sadness and hatred. And they both knew it.

Itachi swallows thickly, taking in the sight of his frantic cousin, and listening to the tiny, eager footsteps of his precious little brother. "The whispers…are just whispers. But Danzo won't believe it, will he?" He knew that there was dissent amongst the clan, that tensions were running high. There were those unhappy with their situation, and some who would resort to violence in order to change the way of things. But that was not all of them, there were many who were completely innocent. The young, the old, the peaceful… "He would order a genocide out of fear alone?"

"Yes, he would." Just yesterday, he would have been just as incredulous as Itachi. "That kunai wasn't supposed to cut my cheek Itachi, it was supposed to take my eyes. Fear can do terrible things to people and that man is terrified." Shisui sighs sadly. "Perhaps not completely unjustifiably so."

Yes, Itachi knew that. Fear could bring about terrible things, hatred, violence, war… "So you plan to abandon the village, and take Sasuke and I with you?" He never would have thought that someone as loyal as Shisui would resort to such a thing. If he was, it meant that he was truly afraid.

"One could look at that way." He didn't like it, but it was the only way. "Or you could look at it that I'm choosing to save three lives for certain, rather than stay here and ensure all of our deaths. " He lets out a shaky breath. "If we leave, maybe they'll view our clan as less than a threat. We are the prodigies of our clan."

That was…true. If the three of them were gone, or at least him and Shisui, perhaps the clan would be left alone. Very few of their clan were even half as capable as the two of them. But still, that would mean becoming rogue ninja, abandoning their family, their village, and everything they had ever known. Could he do that to his little brother? His sweet, innocent little Sasuke? "Where would we go?" Assuming that he agreed to this insanity at all. "We would be hunted across the Five Great Nations. No place would be truly safe for us if we did leave."

"That's why we're not going anywhere in the Five Great Nations." They were going somewhere else. Somewhere far away, but where he couldn't say. "I've read some more of the Stone Tablets. It's possible to travel across dimensions."

Okay, his cousin, the one he looked up to as a big brother, who he would do anything for…was officially nuts. "You want us to travel to another dimension." Itachi wasn't sure if that was a bold plan, or suicidal. "…And this is the only way you can think of to save Sasuke?" His sweet, innocent little brother. The other person that he would do anything to protect.

"Well, there is a chance that if you promised Danzo you'd kill the rest of us...he might spare Sasuke." Shisui sighs as he looks at Itachi. "If you choose that path, I won't fight you." He knew that the other man would do anything to protect his brother. "Though it's just as risky as my plan. Either plan has about a fifty percent chance of 'success'."

Kill the entire clan, including his best friend in the entire world, in the hopes that Danzo would spare his brother, and thrust Sasuke into a world of darkness…or flee, abandon his village and his clan to Danzo's wrath? He could see it in his head, the words he would have to say to Sasuke, were he to go through with the former. The hurt in Sasuke's eyes…the pain…and the utter darkness and burning hatred that would follow. On the other hand, there was Shisui's plan, walking into the unknown with his brothers at his side. Could they do it? Could they really just leave and have a new life somewhere else? Could he kill Shisui, to that end, and leave Sasuke all alone in the world?

"…No. I can't kill you." Itachi knew it in his heart that he would never be able to kill Shisui to save Sasuke. He would rather sacrifice himself and kill Danzo to keep them both safe. But he doubted that was an option. "Never you…" Was it truly impossible for the Leaf and the Uchiha Clan to coexist?

Shisui wasn't so sure about that. If it really came down to it, but he didn't want to force Itachi to make that choice. "He won't attack tonight." Shisui shakes his head. "He knows I fled to the District. He wouldn't risk an open war. We have time to pack and perhaps, if you want to leave a letter to your parents." He wasn't sure, if that would make things better or worse for Itachi. "So they will at least know what happened to us." To a degree. "And maybe, follow us...if they get the chance." If they survived. If they got out in time.

"If they survive, you mean." Itachi could read the unspoken words on Shisui's face, in his voice. "And you've only proposed that the three of us go because I trust you more than anyone else, and because where I go, Sasuke will follow. But also because the rest of our clan would not be nearly so easy to convince." Would it be right to ask their clan to abandon the only world they'd ever known? Was that better or worse than being wiped out?

"It will be the three of us. If you do not write a letter, I will for them." He owed them at least a chance. "Your father has the Mangekyo. He can read as much of the tablets as I can." He bites his lower lip. "He's a smart man and the leader of our Clan. At least some of them would follow." It was all that he could do for them now.

Itachi could only hope that Shisui was right. "I will write the letter. Because I trust you, Shisui, I will go along with this outlandish plan of yours. If that's what it will take to protect Sasuke, and to protect as many of our clan as possible, I will go with you." After all, if Sasuke didn't survive, what reason would Itachi have to exist?

"Alright." Shisui nods as he considers something. "Your father and mother are at a clan meeting. They'll likely be gone for at least another two hours. Maybe three." What he was asking was cruel, but he saw no other way. "Do you think that is enough time for you to craft that letter? We could be gone before they're home."

More than enough time, if Itachi was being honest. He could likely craft quite the novel in only twenty minutes. He could only hope that the words would come. "Yes, it's enough time." If he went to the Hokage, Danzo would find out and launch an attack immediately. Sasuke would be caught in the crossfire. And Itachi was not confident in his ability to protect his little brother from the horde of elite assassins in ROOT if they stayed. "Sasuke may hate me for this…"

"Possibly, but I imagine less so than if you were to kill our entire clan save for him." Shisui sighs and places his hand on the other man's shoulder comfortingly. "I will take the blame. This was my idea." He shakes his head. "I won't see your relationship with Sasuke suffer because of it, if I can help it."

"Thank you, Shisui, but I agreed to this. It would be wrong to have you shoulder the decision alone." And maybe, someday, Sasuke would forgive Itachi for what he was about to do. It seemed that he was always doing things that would require his little brother's forgiveness. And someday, he feared that he would no longer receive it.

"The blame lies almost squarely on my shoulders, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it." Shisui glances towards living room where Sasuke was throwing some weapons into packs. "I should probably go and make sure he doesn't poke his eye out...he's very enthusiastic about his task."

Itachi nods. "I'll find a few of his favorite toys while I write the letter." There was no reason not to bring a few comforts with them. He didn't need any of his own, but Sasuke was still small, still innocent. Maybe a few toys would help him, wherever they went.

Shisui doubted a few toys would distract Sasuke for long, but it couldn't hurt. "Alright then. Come and find us when you're ready." He also doubted it would take them longer to finish packing than it would take Itachi to write that letter.

"I will…" The weight on Itachi's heart only grew heavier. But this was for the best, wasn't it? If he and Shisui were gone, maybe the others might be spared. They were the biggest threats to Danzo's power within the clan.

…And if nothing else, Sasuke would be safe. That's what mattered most. "Give me fifteen minutes, and try to keep Sasuke occupied. Preferably, in a way that doesn't take out anyone's eyes."

"I'll try my best on the last part but he is a rather...energetic little thing." That was putting it mildly, he knew. "Fifteen minutes then." He nods at Itachi as he makes his way over to Sasuke.

Itachi sighs, reaching across his bed for the pen and paper always kept stashed there, just in case he needed to send a message via messenger hawk. Something that he did in the ANBU frequently when they tapped in the middle of the night or the early morning.

 _ **Dear Mother, Father,**_

 _ **I have known for some time that our clan was not looked upon with favor by the village. They fear us for our power, because they do not know us. And because of this, there are those who would see us dead.**_

 _ **I write this, hoping that you will forgive me for what I have done. Know that I only do this to protect Sasuke, and hopefully, our entire clan. If we go, then perhaps the village will have no need to fear the Uchiha. If its two greatest prodigies are gone, perhaps Danzo will not feel the need to attack our clan.**_

 _ **Shisui has found a way, through the stone tablets in our secret meeting room, to leave this place and go to another world, one where we would be safe, where no one would know us, and there would be no tensions to threaten our clan. I know that it would be difficult, if not impossible to convince the entire clan to go, to leave this world behind and find a new one, where we could be free. So, Shisui will take Sasuke and I there, alone.**_

 _ **Perhaps that will be enough to soothe Danzo's ire, and perhaps it will also serve to protect Shisui's eyes from being abused and misused. I would not agree to this if it were anyone else that suggested it, and were there any other option that did not involve a slaughter of our clan, both the guilty, and the innocent alike.**_

 _ **I hope that one day, should we all survive this, that you will find it in your hearts to forgive me as well. I hope that you join us, and that we can be a family again, as we should be, without the fear of being shunned, isolated, and targeted because of our abilities.**_

 _ **By the time you read this letter, Shisui will likely have already taken us away. But we will be safe. Be prepared for difficulties ahead, as Danzo has heard the rumors of a coup, and plans to act on them. The voices of dissent within our clan will be our downfall, but if you can convince the others to stay their hands, you may be able to save them as well. And I hope that one day, we will see each other again.**_

 _ **All my love,**_

 _ **Itachi**_

Reading over the letter once more, Itachi rises to his feet, folding it up, and sealing it with chakra. After all, it wouldn't do to let just anyone read it. That finished, he collects a few toys from his bedroom floor, scattered about as Sasuke always seemed to enjoy playing in Itachi's room more than his own. And, making sure that he has at least Sasuke's five top favorite toys, he glides out of his room, tucking them carefully into another bag. "Shisui?"

"We're packed." Shisui didn't know what they would find in the next world, but they were as prepared as they were ever going to be. "Sasuke, I've talked your brother into letting us take you on your first real mission as a ninja." He smiles down at him. "Don't be scared, okay? Be brave."

The Bubble Eyes Jutsu was in full effect. "Really?!" He jumps up and down excitedly and then deflates. "We're not just chasing cats again, are we?" He liked cats, but he wanted a real mission!

"No." Shisui pauses and adds as an afterthought. "Well at least it's unlikely. We don't really know what will happen on this mission, but whatever happens don't let go of me or Itachi. This may be a rather...disorientating trip."

That was putting it rather mildly, in Itachi's opinion, but it was all accurate. Shisui had a way of telling the truth, without telling the full story that Itachi really wished he had. Especially at a time like this. "Yes, Sasuke, it's important that you never lose sight of us. We'll be going outside of the village for a while, so I've made sure that pack your favorite toys, just in case you get lonely. Okay? Have you packed enough clothes?" They would like need to get new clothes in the other world, but it would be better to have enough clothes to last a little while beforehand.

"We're going outside the village?" He cocks his head to the side curiously. "That's amazing!" He hadn't really been anywhere outside the village, except for the old Uchiha Fortress with all the cats before. "And yes, big brother." He nods his head dutifully. "Lots of clothes, medicine, food, weapons, and water just like Iruka Sensei taught us."

"Good, very good." Itachi felt guilty, knowing that Sasuke wouldn't have the chance to say goodbye to anyone. "Alright, now we're going to be following Shisui. He's going to lead us to the mission, and I'm going to leave a letter for Mother and Father to tell them where we went." He leaves the letter on the kitchen counter, nodding at Shisui, who leads them from the kitchen.

Sasuke nods, grabbing Itachi's hand as they leave their family's home. "Okay!" He was shocked that his mother was allowing this. "I've been practicing my kunai throwing! I'm ready!"

Shisui shakes his head. Sasuke had no idea what he was getting into. "I'm sure that will be a big help on this mission." Though it wasn't necessarily a bad thing that Sasuke apparently felt confident when it came to wielding perhaps the most standard weapon in the ninja world.

"Yes, that's very good, Sasuke." Itachi forces what he hopes is a convincing smile as they quickly, quietly approach the meeting hall. "And maybe there will be time to train while we're on the mission." After all, in another world, there was no telling what they were going to face. It was better to be prepared, than not.

"Really?" Sasuke was always trying to train with Itachi, but he was usually busy. "Great!" He smiles as he looks at the Uchiha Tablets in confusion. There was a room like this underground? But weren't they supposed to be going on a mission? What were they doing down here?

"Just hold on tightly, Sasuke." Shisui situates the boy between himself and Itachi, grabbing onto one of his hands, figuring it would be best if the smallest member of their traveling party had two 'footholds' while they traveled to another dimension.

Itachi squeezes Sasuke's other hand, hefting his pack over his shoulder, holding it and the toy bag firmly. "I'm ready." No, he wasn't, but in a situation like this, it was best not to show any fear.

Shisui nods as Sasuke grips onto them tightly. "Good." With that being said, Shisui activates his Mangekyo Sharingan, reading some words off of the tablet that Itachi didn't recognize, but they must have worked because soon enough they got sucked up into a portal that was every color imaginable. "Hold on tight!" It was like falling down a great waterfall and Sasuke was now screaming as anyone in their right mind would be.

Hearing his little brother's fearful shrieks, Itachi reaches down, closing his eyes against the swirl of light and color, wrapping his arms around his little brother and bracing himself. "Sasuke, it's going to be okay, I promise!" He hoped desperately that he would be able to keep that promise.


	2. Chapter 2

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well this chapter is much more mellow than the last one. We debated for awhile about what guild we were going to put them in, if any. In the end, we decided to go for a curveball. I don't think anyone saw this one coming. I'd be surprised, if anyone guessed which guild the Uchihas ended up in. Anyway, happy reading.

Chapter 2

Sasuke clings to Itachi as Shisui hits the ground first. "Umpf!" Thankfully, he manages to catch Itachi, and by default Sasuke, though. "Are you two alright?" Shisui felt like his entire world was spinning. So he couldn't imagine what Sasuke felt like.

"I'm…fine…" Dizzy, but fine, as far as Itachi could tell. He pawned the dizziness off to inter-dimensional travel, though. The human body was just…not meant to undergo that much stress. "Sasuke? Are you alright, little brother?" He loosens his grip on the boy, letting him breathe a little easier.

Comically wide spirals were shimmering in Sasuke's eyes. "I think so." He looks around in confusion.

Oh boy, that was not a good sign, his little brother looked absolutely dazed from their little 'trip'. It would be best for them to find a place to sleep for the night. At least… Itachi looks up, seeing almost nothing but darkness and trees in every direction, but with a sprinkle of night sky and glimmering stars above them. Great, they'd landed in a forest. Well, if nothing else, there were likely animals to hunt in here, and Itachi was certain that he could find safe plants to eat if they ran out of food. One just had to watch what the animals ate. "We should find a place to sleep for the night." How big was this forest anyway? Was there a way out anywhere nearby? Were there any towns nearby? Was it safer inside the forest than out of it?

"The Byakugan would come in handy, right about now." Shisui blinks as he sees something pink and well adorable. "What the Hell is that?"

"I think...it's a kitty!" Sasuke smiles as he approaches the creature curiously. "Hi!" That was until he saw that it had an axe. "Or not." Sasuke blinks as he backs up slowly and prepares to use the Fireball Jutsu if necessary.

Itachi stares at the small…thing. "I think…it's a pink squirrel?" Just where the hell had Shisui dropped them!? His hand goes for his tanto, just in case this fuzzy little creature turned out to be as dangerous as the axe suggested.

Shisui blinks. "Well...last I checked squirrels didn't wield axes." Maybe, he could just scare it off. "Fireball Jutsu!" He blows a small fireball in the thing's general direction. The creature didn't particularly care for that much, making an angry squeaking sound as it ran off towards...what appeared to be a whole herd of the things. "Well I believe the wildlife may be...radically different than the kind we're accustomed to."

Great, now they were face to face with an army of giant, angry pink squirrels, armed to the teeth with swords, axes, sticks, and quite the variety of other makeshift weapons. Itachi stares disbelievingly at the sight. "Do we fight or run?" If they fought, they risked burning down the forest. If they ran…well, he was fairly sure they could outrun the things if he carried Sasuke on his back.

"I know they have weapons, but I'd still feel rather guilty." Shisui frowns. "They're just so adorable and as they haven't directly attacked yet, let's get out of here."

"Agreed." Itachi crouches down, moving his back to his front. "Sasuke, get on. We'll move faster if you ride on my back."

Sasuke quickly hops onto his brother's back. "Alright, but I'm fast now too!" He smiles at Itachi.

"Yes, I know, but you're still not quick enough to keep up with Shisui." Itachi eyes the little creatures warily as they begin chittering angrily, more than a few of them starting to make an advance. He focuses a burst of chakra into his feet, leaping up to the nearest bough. "Let's go!"

Shisui didn't need to be told twice. He ran and he ran. The prodigy glances over at Itachi and was relieved that Sasuke somehow hadn't fallen off the other man's back yet and that his cousins were keeping pace with him.

Those tiny creatures were pretty determined, though, and much faster than they looked. The little demons were climbing into the trees, jumping like flying squirrels, even while weighed down by the weapons in their grasp. This was insane! Had Shisui dropped them into a world where the wildlife was more dangerous than the people!? Were there even any people at all here!?

Itachi speeds up, trying to leave the creatures in the dust. "We need to find our way out of this forest!" Because clearly, it was safer out of the forest than in it.

"I think I see a cliff up ahead!" Sasuke smiles at Itachi as he clings. "We could run up that and they probably wouldn't follow, big brother."

Itachi eyes the looming cliff ahead, jutting up at least a couple hundred feet. It was worth a shot. "Good idea, Sasuke." He doubted that the tiny creatures would be able to follow the three of them up such a sheer cliff. Not unless they were capable of using chakra, as they were.

He makes a beeline for the cliff, jumping from the last tree branch and feeling energy shift in the air as he leans back, letting his feet connect solidly with the cliff wall. He spares only a moment to find his balance, before sprinting up the side, ears open and listening the the angry chittering of the army of deadly giant pink squirrels below.

Sasuke clings to his brother's shoulders tightly. "It's okay!" Shisui smiles at them as they climb up the cliff and onto the top. "I don't think they can follow." Unless the cute little demons were capable of sprouting wings, which...might actually be a possibility here.

Balancing himself on the ledge, Itachi stares down at the army of squirrels, his cheeks already beginning to puff up, just in case they were able to follow. Luckily, it seemed that flying or climbing up the sheer wall was beyond their capabilities, and the angry chittering of two hundred squirrels remained far enough away that he was fairly sure that they were safe. "I think…we're out of the woods."

Shisui groans and smacks his forehead. "Itachi, I love you like a brother." He shakes his head in exasperation. "Though I think your actual brother could come up with a better pun than that."

Itachi blinks, before looking around and realizing that they were, in fact, out of the woods. Or at least, they had made it out of that forest, and onto a rather wide path, easily large enough to fit several carriages. "Ah, yes…I see." Well, a path like this, one that had footprints on it, meant that there were humans about. "Shall we follow this and see where it leads?"

"Yeah!" Sasuke nods as he looks around curiously. "Watch out for anything pink." He had always known that was a bad color!

"Noted." Itachi resists the urge to chuckle at his foolish little brother as he and Shisui walk leisurely down the path, now that the little monsters weren't threatening to nip at their heels. Or worse, slice into them. "Though I'm sure that not everything pink is evil. We must simply watch out for…unnaturally colored animals with weapons."

Sasuke really didn't see the need to take any chances. "I'm telling you, it's bad luck!" Really. Girls were always shoving pink things at him. Mostly sweets. "Girls like to try to poison you with pink stuff!" He didn't even like sweets!

"Someday, Sasuke...you might appreciate it when a woman tries to poison you." Shisui chuckles at his younger cousin's antics. "Wait. That came out wrong." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly as Sasuke gapes at him for suggesting that poison might be a good thing.

"Shisui!" Itachi shoots a glare at his cousin. Honestly, he respected the man's skills, his talents, and his intellect, but still, did the man have to be such a pervert!?

"I didn't mean it that way!" He shakes his head as if positively aghast by the suggestion. "I meant that he might like it when a woman cooks for him is all!" Well not really, but still. "Honestly, Itachi you're setting such a poor example for Sasuke by jumping to such deviant conclusions!"

Itachi shots Shisui a look that clearly says that it was bullshit, and they both knew it. "In any case, forgetting the pink for a minute, we need to find a place to-" He stops dead in his tracks as a large shadow before them glows slightly in the moonlight, and small orbs of light show the way to the front door of a huge house. A huge PINK house, with white trimmings and hearts carved into the roof and windows. "…" That was a LOT of pink.

Sasuke blinks at the house. "Do you think that Sakura lives here?" The house was even more pink than his classmate's hair. "Her hair is like the house. So it might be hers because I think it's her favorite color." Ah the logic of Academy Students, Shisui chuckles to himself at the childish reasoning.

Itachi knew that it couldn't possibly be Sasuke's classmate's house. Still, a place like that didn't really look all that dangerous. Then again, the demon squirrels hadn't either. But they could at least check it out. There were lights on inside, so maybe whoever lived there might be able to put them up for a night and give them directions in the morning. "Come on. Shisui, knock on the door." His arms were still kind of full with his little brother. After all, Sasuke did love his piggyback rides, and was usually reluctant to have them end.

"Alright. Stay behind me." If something went wrong, Itachi was carrying Sasuke. He should have the first opportunity to bolt while Shisui stalled for time. "Here goes nothing." He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.

There's silence for a moment, before the two giant doors to the house crack open, revealing a short, chubby, bald man with bright red lipstick, an even brighter pink tank top, pink and purple shorts, and far too much other makeup to be considered 'normal'. "Now, who's knocking at this time of the night." His soft, beady eyes fall on the three young boys before him, and little stars pop in his eyes. "Oh, how adorable! Such cute little boys." He smiles widely, reaching out to pinch Shisui's cheek. "Now, how can I help YOU three tonight?"

Sasuke might have only been seven, but his instinct told him that this was weird. Really weird. It kinda made him nervous that a grown man was looking at him with stars in his eyes. "Itachi, maybe we were better off with the cat-squirrels." He whispers into his ear. Itachi couldn't help but think that maybe Sasuke was right about that. Though the man did seem rather…harmless.

Shisui blinks at the man's appearance, but decides not to judge a book by its very eccentric cover. "We're sorry to bother you, but you see we're a bit lost and as you can see we have a small child with us and we'd rather not get caught on the outskirts of a forest at night. I'm Shisui." He points to himself. "That's my cousin Itachi." To the other teenager. "And his little brother, Sasuke." No pointing needed.

The man's eyes widen, and he steps out of the way, ushering them inside. "Oh no, it wouldn't do to leave you boys out there in the woods. There's all sorts of nasty creatures out there."

"Yes, we ran into some earlier." Itachi steps inside with a slightly squirming Sasuke on his back. "The small pink squirrels who seem to be overly fond of brandishing weapons."

"Oh, you mean the goblins." The man nods his head sagely. "Yes, it's best you kids watch out for those. They might look harmless, but more than one unfortunate wizard has lost their life in the Worth Woodsea."

Sasuke blinks at that information. "They can kill people?" He had seen the weapons, but he had thought that was just to scare off predators!

"That's unfortunate." Shisui nods in understanding. "Well we could pay you for your hospitality, if you accept our currency." Which obviously was not a given. "That or perhaps trade? And if that isn't to your liking, Itachi and I are a lot stronger than we look we could perhaps to tend to your fields for a day or something in exchange for your hospitality."

"No, no, there's no need for that. This is my private villa. And if there's anything we at Blue Pegasus pride ourselves on, it's our hospitality!" The little white wings on his back flutter, lifting him off the ground as he makes for the stairs. "Now you kids come along, there are bedrooms upstairs."

Sasuke blinks as he stares at the wings. "You can fly?!" He thought only angel's or birds had wings. Well that or insects. "Are those real or are they mechanical?" Maybe, they were mechanical and he had slapped feathers on them. If this man was an angel, his mother had really, really gotten the description wrong of what angels looked like. Then again, mother always said he shouldn't judge people based on their looks.

The man giggles at the question. "They're magic, Dearie. I'm a wizard. Master Bob of the Blue Pegasus Guild."

Someone important, then, or so Itachi surmised. The leader of an organization. "Then…we thank you for your hospitality, Master Bob."

At this, even Shisui looked confused. "Yes, thank you, Master Bob." Such a strange man with an even stranger name. "You'll have to forgive our ignorance on such things, but we're from very far away. What exactly is a wizard and...are you saying there are actually blue flying horses around here?" If there were "goblins," maybe flying horses weren't that out of the realm of possibility.

Bob giggles once more. "Of course not, don't be silly. Of course there aren't any flying horses around. I just picked the name because I liked it. You need a name if you're going to create a wizards' guild." He makes his point by turning and phasing through a door, before reappearing through the wall. "And you MUST be foreign if you don't know what a wizard is. A wizard is someone with magical powers."

Sasuke tilts his head. "Then I guess, we're wizards too." Maybe magical powers was just their way of referring to jutsu. Father had once told him that customs could vary greatly, depending on which of the Five Great Nations, smaller nations, or Island Nations you ended up in.

"Yes, it would seem so." Itachi wasn't quite sure what to make of all of this. This world that Shisui had led them to was very…different than what he was accustomed to. However, if a wizard was someone with special powers, then it would be easier to blend in if they claimed to be wizards as well. "I suppose that we simply have a different name that we call it where we come from.

"Oh, so you little ones are wizards?" Bob smiles widely at them. "I just LOVE little wizards, they're so cute!" He flutters over to pinch Sasuke's little cheeks.

"Owe!" Sasuke grumbles. That was worse than a forehead poke! And Itachi has to bite his lip in order to stifle a laugh at his little brother's misfortune. It wasn't his fault that Sasuke was just so adorable when he sulked.

"Yes, I guess you could say that." Shisui nods, figuring it was best to go along with it. "Though none of us have the natural power of flight. Itachi and I can summon crows though." Amongst other things. Best not to reveal everything in one go, but since the man could fly that information might make him feel like they had something in common with him. Which was always good in situations like this.

"Oh, is that so?" It sounded like Karen's magic, to the old guild master. "One of my little wizards can summon all sorts of things." Bob sighs slightly. "Though I do with she'd treat them better…do you treat your birds well?"

"Yes." At least, Itachi had never mistreated them. "Though I do use them in battle sometimes."

Shisui nods at the question. "I treat my birds in a manner similar to Itachi." Mostly he used them for spying though.

"I see." Bob looks them up and down again, frowning. "Though you're a little young to be fighting anyone." His eyes drift to the littlest one, Sasuke. "I bet you're eager to be a wizard when you grow up!"

He nods at him. "This is my first real mission, but I'm at the top of my class at the Academy."

Oh boy, Shisui thinks to himself. Now, they were going to have to explain the Academy to some degree. "Yes, Sasuke, that's very impressive." Shisui was going to have to pull Sasuke to the side and have a discussion about what was appropriate to tell strangers. The kid was just too friendly for his own good.

"You go to a magic school?" Bob tilts his head at the thought as he leads them down the third floor corridor. "Though they really shouldn't be letting little children leave home like that. Goodness, I wouldn't let my little wizards on jobs out of the city until they were at least thirteen or fourteen."

"Well usually, most children don't graduate the Academy until they're twelve." Shisui offers. "We're just...our circumstances are rather unique."

"I see…" That was often the way with wizards, no matter how much Bob didn't like it. "Well, if you like, we can talk about it in the morning." He pushes ope the door to a room with four beds in it. "And then we'll see what we can do with you to get you a little less lost."

Itachi doubted that it would be nearly so simple, but he wasn't going to say no to a soft bed. "Thank you for this."

"My pleasure, Dearies." Bob's wings flutter softly as he smiles. "If you need anything, my room is four doors down on the right."

Shisui nods in confirmation. "Alright. We'll keep that in mind." He smiles back. "We'll likely forever be in your debt. This is kind of you to take three strangers into your home."

Bob clicks his tongue disapprovingly. "Come now, I may not be a Fairy anymore, but you never lose the spirit. It would be wrong to leave the three of you out in the cold. Now, off to bed. Breakfast will be from nine until ten, and then we'll see about helping you boys out."

Sasuke and Shisui both blink at the word fairy. This place was strange. "Of course. We shall join you for breakfast in the morning then." Shisui nods at him, trying to hide his puzzlement over the usage of the word fairy.

As the door closes, shutting the three of them in the room, Itachi carefully drops Sasuke onto one of the beds. Clearly, the usage of the word fairy meant something, but he had a feeling that it didn't refer to little pixies with glittering wings. "Sasuke, be good and get ready for bed. Shisui and I need to talk."

Sasuke blinks. "Are you going to make Shisui sleep on the couch?" That's what mother did to father whenever she said that.

"No, Sasuke." He shakes his head and chuckles. "Itachi isn't going to make me sleep on the couch. It's fine." Shisui smiles. "Get some sleep."

Itachi tries not to wince at the mention of their parents. "It's nothing like that, don't worry. Besides, there are more than enough beds in here for everyone to have their own." And he wasn't married to Shisui, so it wasn't nearly the same sort of situation to begin with.

Sasuke nods as he heads off to bed. It seemed that he had been suitably reassured by that.

Sighing, Itachi waits until Sasuke is soundly asleep before crawling over to Shisui's bed and sitting down on the covers. "You certainly know how to choose an interesting world to exile us to."

"Well I didn't really get a choice. The tablets just ensured that it was compatible with our basic biology." Everything else was left to chance. "But yes."

"Because, clearly, rabid giant pink demon squirrels with deadly weapons are compatible with our biology." Itachi rolls his eyes at his best friend. "Anyway…now that we're here, we're eventually going to be forced to explain to Sasuke why the 'mission' isn't ending. Not only that, but we will have to find a means of providing for ourselves, since I doubt that they utilize the same currency that we do."

If it came to the worst, Itachi was confident that apart from the demon squirrels, they could live off the land. But that would not be very good for Sasuke. Children needed to socialize, and Itachi wasn't going to have his brother become a hermit later on in life. "If we're considered wizards in this world, then we should look for employment suitable for wizards."

"My thoughts exactly and by compatible, I mean the atmosphere isn't poisonous to us and we can eat at least something in this dimension." Shisui looks around and sighs. "What do you think about this Bob character?"

Well, now that was the question of the day, wasn't it? "He seems…a bit eccentric, but friendly enough, and willing to help complete strangers." Though, admittedly, Itachi could see why someone so friendly would want to help three children, or what they saw as children anyway. He was barely thirteen, himself, and Sasuke almost eight, Shisui wasn't much older than himself, only a few years separating them. "Perhaps he could direct us towards some work. We might be able to learn a lot about this world by speaking with him." Not that it would stop Sasuke from throwing himself into a heartbroken rage when he found out that they were stuck here.

He nods. Shisui wasn't necessarily of the opinion that trusting strangers completely was always the wisest course of action, but Itachi had a point. "That's what I was thinking as well." It wasn't as if they had much of an alternative.

"Good." Itachi glances back at his little brother, who was already busy in his sleep, twisting himself up in the blankets. "I imagine that it will be difficult to keep the truth from Sasuke for more than a week or two at most." Eventually, his foolish little brother would start asking questions. Like when they were going 'home'.

"Let him keep the illusion for awhile longer." Shisui sighs and shakes his head. "If they manage to figure it out, I ensured that the jutsu was 'set' to send them to this dimension." It was a small comfort though. That was assuming the rest of their Clan wasn't killed before they even noticed that the three of them had gone missing.

"I will try, but Sasuke is more perceptive than I like to give him credit for." His little brother had good instincts, and would soon realize that something was amiss. And Itachi would have to be prepared for the moment when the truth finally dawned on Sasuke. "I just hope that his heart will not be too broken when he realizes hat we have done."

"He's young. It's going to devastate him at first." Shisui places his hand on Itachi's shoulder. "Kids have a marvelous resiliency though. They can adapt to almost anything, given time."

"Almost anything, huh?" Itachi laughs tiredly at the thought. "I guess we'll soon find out if that extends to unknowingly fleeing to another dimension, with no idea whether or not you'll see the rest of your family again." And honestly, the thought was wearing on Itachi as well. Would they ever see the rest of their clan again? Would they ever see anyone from their clan again? Or were the three of them the only ones who would escape?

"The fact that he's so young may make it easier for him to cope." Shisui shakes his head. "Children at that age are very optimistic. If we can't say with certainty they're gone, he'll believe they might find us and that might keep him going long enough for him to mature more and develop more...permanent coping skills."

Itachi could only hope that it would be so easy for Sasuke. He had seen too much blood and death to be nearly so optimistic, himself. "You're right. He's strong. He'll survive this."

"At least now he has the chance to survive, back there...his odds were considerably less. And we've managed to find a dimension with people around." And at least one of them had a soft spot for children. "We'll find a way to make this work."

"Yes we will." They had to. Itachi would never forgive himself if he let anything happen to his baby brother. Even If they had to flee to another dimension in order to stay safe. And even if that meant that Sasuke hated him for it.

* * *

When Bob said breakfast, Itachi was pretty sure that the man meant a feast fit for a feudal lord! Clearly, being a wizard was much more profitable than being a ninja was, because the man was definitely living in the lap of luxury. Modest luxury, but luxury all the same.

Pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs, a mountain of sausages, fruits and fruit salads, some kind of rainbow pudding with sprinkles all over it, and a whole host of unhealthy and healthy toppings alike. He was a little flabbergasted, and not entirely sure where to start. There were just so many options, and Itachi did have something of a secret sweet tooth.

Sasuke blinks at all the food. "Did you invite the whole village?" Not that he had ever gone hungry at home, but this was...well this was a lot! His parents were going to be sorry they missed this! There was just so much food!

"You're a very generous host." Shisui blinks just as flabbergasted as his cousins. "This all looks amazing." He didn't even know where to begin.

Bob smiles at the boys standing there, mouths agape. "Well, sit down and eat, Dearies. You boys get first pick this morning. Whatever we don't eat, I'll pack up and bring to the guild with me." After all, it would never do to let any of his little wizards go hungry. Even if some of the lovely ladies were on completely unnecessary diets.

Shisui nods gratefully. "Thank you." He begins neatly devouring some bacon. "So we were wondering where one would go for employment around here?" He might as well be direct.

Sasuke had apparently decided to try the pancakes first. They were really fluffy. He liked fluffy pancakes. But his cousin's words still worried him. "You're looking for missions on a mission?" It sounded like they were going to be gone for awhile. "Big brother, how'd you get mother and father to let me come?" This sounded like they might be away for weeks or even months.

Itachi leans in close to his brother, lowering his voice. "Well, since you have a summer break, I thought that it would be better timing." He was lying through his teeth, and he hated it. "We're very far from home, and they likely use different money here, so we should make sure to have some of it while we're learning more about this region."

"Oh." Sasuke smiles between his pancakes. "That make sense." It never occurred to him that Itachi might be lying to him.

Across the table, Bob begins to chortle at Shisui's query. "Oh, silly boy. If the three of you are wizards, then you should join a guild, of course. Well, little Sasuke is a bit young for that, but I'm sure that in a few years, he would make an excellent guild wizard." He eyes with boy with a twinkle in his eye. "And such a healthy appetite too!"

"Right." A Guild. That must have been their version of a Ninja Village, Shisui decides. "How would one go about joining a guild, exactly?" He smiles fondly at Sasuke who was too busy eating to comment further. "He's always rather liked pancakes."

"Well, there are plenty of pancakes for him, then." Bob giggles at the sight of the little one with syrup on his face. "It's usually not hard to join a guild. Some have rather specific requirements, or only take particularly powerful wizards, or other nonsense like that, but I think that the best guilds are the ones that will take in whoever wants to join, whether they are strong or weak, no matter what their talents are. For that, I would recommend Quatro Cerberus, Lamia Scale, or Fairy Tail. Or…" He smiles mischievously at them. "You could always come back to the city with me. I'm sure that Blue Pegasus would be a perfect place for such lovely, polite boys."

Such strange names, Shisui muses. "Itachi?" Sasuke obviously was too young to make such a decision. While it was possible that this man's friendliness might be an act, Shisui was starting to doubt that was the case. "What do you think?" If this guild would accept anyone that would take care of their immediate needs. Sasuke need someplace safe. They couldn't really afford to be picky in his view.

Itachi raises an eyebrow, his fork halfway to his mouth as he downs the fruit salad he'd picked. He liked fruit, and it wasn't nearly as unhealthy as most of the other options at the table. Though…he did have to confess to planning to drag a couple of pancakes over and slather them top to bottom in whipped cream.

Oh, right, he'd been asked his opinion. Itachi puts his fork down, taking a sip of a rather sweet juice to wash down the fruit with. "That sounds like a good plan. You said that you were the master of the guild, does that mean that you can guarantee us entry?"

"Of course!" Bob waves his hand through the air. "And your little brother could even help me watch the bar. He looks like a sharp boy. I could watch him while the two of you are working." He was something of the unofficial guild babysitter.

Sasuke wonders what a bar was, but he nods his head. "Yeah. I could do that."

Shisui was a bit more skeptical of that idea. "I don't mind if he helps you mind the bar, but...it wouldn't be a good idea to give a kid that can make fireballs alcohol." Just to be on the safe side. It was better to warn him about that. "We don't want to repay your kindness with an accident."

Bob blinks, a little bemused for a moment, before a wide grin spread across his face. "Oh, the little one is a fiery one, then? Good, I'm sure that the clients will adore him." Though he does make a mental note to keep the alcohol away from the boy. "Though I was suggesting more along the lines of keeping an eye on the people, not the drinks. I'm sure that the two of you are more than capable of handling drinks. Unless…you would prefer to take jobs instead? They can pay better than the wages of the serving staff, but only if you're willing to take a risk."

Itachi notes that Bob is addressing Shisui specifically with that last option. It seemed to him that the guild master thought that thirteen was a bit young to be out taking these 'jobs'. Whether that was because Itachi's skill level was unknown, or because of the nature of the jobs, he wasn't sure. "Shisui? What do you think?" It sounded like the jobs were dangerous, but paid better, but the work as serving staff would keep them inside the guild, and close to Sasuke, while providing lower, if more regular wages. Perhaps they could do a bit of both?

"The serving jobs would seem better for a beginning." Shisui ponders the matter. "Perhaps we could attempt other kinds of jobs outside the guilds and see if they are for us as well." Better pay was good, but servers seemed like it would meet their needs, if these other jobs were truly that dangerous. They had Sasuke to think of now. That meant no S-Class Missions.

"Very good." Bob claps his hands together. "Oh, but you boys should know that some of the jobs on the boards are restricted to senior members of the guild only. They're very dangerous, and our younger, less experienced members aren't allowed to take them. The ones not labeled S-Class are up for grabs for anyone, and they can be anything from running errands or building something, to hunting monsters, protecting caravans, or even catching criminals. There's really quite a variety of tasks that a wizard can get paid to do. But the harder the job, the more you get paid. So if you do decide to take one, weigh the risks carefully."

"Of course." Itachi nods, pulling a couple of pancakes over, and dousing them in whipped cream and fresh strawberries. He could see why Bob would restrict the hardest jobs. And now that he was one of Sasuke's sole guardians, it meant that he would have to put more value on his own life, for his little brother's sake.


	3. Chapter 3

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. This chapter is more of a transition chapter than anything else. There is a lot of lightheartedness and fluff and Sasuke gets to show off a bit. There will be a few more transition chapters, but Fairy Tail will show up relatively soon. Expect a couple timeskips in the near future. Happy reading!

Chapter 3

Many hours and a long carriage ride later, Bob takes them to meet the rest of the guild. Sasuke blinks rapidly at the strange sight before him. There were so many bright colors flashing before his eyes that it nearly blinded him at the wrong angles. From the whispers and the people racing around, it seemed that today some of the members of the guild were doing something called a 'photo-shoot'. Which apparently meant they were taking a lot of pictures. Mostly of pretty older girls in barely any clothes.

"Well...in hindsight, I'd say that dealing with a few goblins wasn't so bad." Shisui was blinking right alongside Sasuke though for different reasons. "If the end result is this." He glances at Itachi with mischief sparkling in his eyes.

"Where did all their clothes go?" Sasuke tilts his head to the side curiously. He'd never seen anyone wearing that little. "Are those supposed to be swimsuits?" They must have gotten the wrong size. "Because they're really small."

"Yes, aren't they just darling!?" Bob smiles happily at the sight of his hard-working little wizards. "Our ladies have been looking forward to this shoot for quite a while now. Sorcerer Weekly is doing their yearly wizarding calendar. Our girls were chosen for the summer section! Swimsuits only."

Eyeing the skimpy clothing, and casting his eyes away, Itachi covers Sasuke's eyes with his hands. "So this is some of the work that wizards do?" It was not what he was expecting. Not at all.

"Among other things, yes. Many of our female wizards compete with other young ladies for Sorcerer Weekly's centerfolds and interviews." And Bob was ever so proud when they landed them. And he was always more than happy to encourage them to do their very best.

"Itachi!" Sasuke grumbles at his eyes being covered. "Why did you do that?!" Adults did that a lot to him for some reason!

Shisui wasn't really sure what a centerfold was, but if that meant the women wore those outfits regularly...well those were the kinds of missions he could fully support! "Yes, they are rather stunning." He smiles at Bob . "You must be so proud of your villagers." He figured Bob as a Guild Master was something close to a Kage in this world.

Bob blinks bemusedly at Shisui's language. "Well, they're not my villagers, they're my guild wizards. Something like…my children. But yes, I am very proud of all of them, whether they make their livings posing for magazines, hunting down nasty monsters, or everything in between."

Sasuke tilts his head to the side. "People pay you to have your picture taken?" That sounded suspiciously easy. What kind of mission was that?

"Ah yes. Well you'll have to forgive our language, I'm afraid." Shisui shakes his head and sighs. "As we said earlier, we're from...very, very far away. It's going tog take us awhile to get used to your customs."

"Oh yes, of course." Bob's eyes dart around, landing on a teenager with light brown hair and dark, indigo eyes. He waves his hand at the sixteen year-old wizard. "Hibiki, could you come over here please!"

The young wizard glances over, nodding as he finishes his interview with one of the reporters, and excusing himself with a charming smile, before sauntering over to the older man. "Yes, Master Bob? Are you finished with your vacation, Sir?"

Bob laughs and pats the boy on the shoulder. "Yes, and it was wonderful." He smiles at the three foreign boys kindly. "And fruitful. These three sweet boys appeared on my doorstep last night. They're foreign wizards and needed to find some work. Could you be a dear and give them a tour while I fetch a few things from my office?"

Hibiki blinks, his dark eyes falling on the three strangers. "Of course I can." In an instant, he smiles widely. "I'm Hibiki Lates, a guild wizard of Blue Pegasus."

Itachi looks him up and down, thankful that he's safe enough to look at as he cautiously uncovers Sasuke's eyes. "Itachi Uchiha. This is my cousin Shisui, and my little brother, Sasuke."

"Hi!" Sasuke smiles at him, happy that he could see again. "Are we going to get our pictures taken too?" Maybe that was supposed to be their job now.

Shisui chuckles and ruffles Sasuke's hair. "Well if they want any Bubble Eyes Editions, I'm sure that they know who to ask." He turns his attention to this Hibiki. "It's a pleasure to meet you and well, my cousin already covered the introductions. We're very curious to hear more about the kinds of work you do." He couldn't imagine that they were going to be 'centerfolds'. Serving was fine for now, but in the future they'd likely want to secure more lucrative employment.

"Of course, if you'll follow me…" Hibiki gestures towards the pinkish building, capped with a central blue dome. The crest of the guild, a horse's head with wings on either side, done in blue was the centerpiece on the flag that hung out front. "I'm sure that the three of you will fit in perfectly around here."

Itachi eyes the building warily. That…was a lot of pink. This guild sure seemed to enjoy the color. "Very well." He takes his little brother by the hand as he follows the rather cheerful young man towards the rather large building. It was even bigger than their father's police headquarters.

"..." Sasuke blinks. "Pink again?" What was with this place and pink? "They let the girls pick the color." He just knew it.

"I'm sure that you'll learn to appreciate the color more one day." Shisui chuckles at his baby cousin. "Especially when it's lace." He quite liked pink lace on a woman. Though the glare that Itachi shoots him only serves to make him chuckle.

Hibiki eyes the eldest of the trio with interest. "Did Master Bob tell you about any of the jobs we do here and what might suit you best?"

Itachi nods. "He said that there were serving staff, and other 'jobs' that we could take, if we were willing to take the risks involved."

Shisui nods in confirmation as he watches Sasuke eye the massive building cautiously. "Yes, that's correct. We'll forever be in his debt." He smiles at the 'wizard'. "He took in three strangers, after all."

The smile on Hibiki's face softens. "That's often the way of things, here. In several of the guilds, actually. You're lucky to have met Master Bob. He has a soft spot for kids." He pushes open the doors, revealing a lavish lounge, dotted with comfortable booths around circular tables, a raised VIP section, and a bar along one wall. And inside the large room, several well-dressed wizards were greeting, socializing, and even flirting with the guests. "Welcome to Blue Pegasus."

Sasuke looks around curiously. Well everyone seemed happy here and his brother didn't seem nervous about being in this strange place. So it must be okay. Surely Itachi wouldn't bring him to dangerous place without telling him about it.

"Where might be a guest-room that we could use?" Shisui smiles at Hibiki. "I don't want to overload Sasuke." This place was...like something out of a dream. A dream that one might have after they consumed large quantities of sugar anyway.

Hibiki frowns slightly. "Well, we don't have a guest room per-say, but we do have a private lounge upstairs for guild members only. If Master Bob is fetching what I think he is, then the three of you can feel free to use it for now. I'll look into finding you a proper place to stay after my shift is over."

"That would be most appreciated." Itachi squeezes Sasuke's hand reassuringly, keeping his little brother close by his side. "You said your shift…what is it precisely that you do here?"

"Me?" The wizard grins widely as he weaves through the crowd of people milling about, being seated, or rising to leave, leading the trio towards the back stairs. "Well, when I'm not giving interviews for Sorcerer Weekly, I'm one of the most popular hosts in the guild. I try to work weekends here, and take regular jobs during the week. It prevents me from getting stir-crazy."

"Ah well variety is the spice of life." Shisui nods in understanding. It would get boring taking the same kinds of missions all the time. "It does seem like a nice place though and we really do appreciate all this."

Sasuke nods. It was nice of them to give them a place to stay and he sorta understood what Hibiki meant by host. His mother was the Clan's Matriarch and sometimes they hosted other people at their house. "What's Sorcerer Weekly?" That was still bugging him though. Bob had mentioned it and so had this guy.

Laughing at the question as they climb the stairs to the private guild lounge, Hibiki smiles at the child. "Sorcerer Weekly is Fiore's hottest wizarding magazine. It features articles on wizards, magical events, magical incidents, stories, photo-spread advertising, and of course, the bikini centerfolds that the girls always want to model for."

That was the first time that Sasuke had heard that word. Bikini. Little did he know at the age of seven how much trouble that one simple word could get his entire gender into. And that was how their first day at the guild went. They stumbled on a bikini photo-shoot and well, things never really got more normal than that.

* * *

Sasuke was sitting down in one of the booths in the lounge when he was approached by a blonde girl. He figured she was somewhere between Itachi's age and Shisui's. "Hello." He had been getting stared at by a lot of people. Sasuke figured it was probably because he appeared to be the youngest person there through and one of the most dressed.

Her long blonde curls bouncing around her shoulders and down her back, the girl smiles brightly as she crouches down towards the new kid. "Aw…who's a little cutie, huh?" Her purple dress flutters around her as she reaches towards him to ruffle his hair. "What's your name, Sweetie?"

"I'm Sasuke." Everyone here seemed really happy to see him for some reason. "Who are you?" Back in the District, he was usually an afterthought. When your big brother and older cousin were both prodigies, it could be hard to get noticed. So he was enjoying the attention enough that he didn't mind the silly nicknames.

"I'm Jenny Realight." The blue emblem on her arm stands out starkly against her pale skin. "Are you with the two other new boys?"

"You could say that." Shisui nods at her. "I'm Shisui and that's Itachi." His eyes flicker over to the other dark haired boy. Their looks similar enough that one could surmise they were related relatively easily.

Jenny's eyes almost explode with hearts and stars at the sight of the new hottie approaching her. "It's nice to meet you, Shisui. You must be one of the foreigners that the master mentioned were going to be joining the guild. He's just trying to get the club organized for the evening before coming up with the stamp."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Though he had no idea what she meant by a stamp. "Forgive me, what stamp are you speaking of?" It seemed as though it had some sort of significance, if they had to get organized for it.

"Wow, you really must be foreign if you don't know what those are." Jenny turns over her arm, showing them the emblem stamped there. "All the wizard guilds do it. We mark our members so that other guilds and clients know who belongs to who.

"So it's your headband." Sasuke smiles cheerfully at that thought. "Does it hurt to get them?" It would be really cool to have a headband. Well that or at least a stamp, he mentally corrects himself.

"Well that does look rather lovely on you." Though Shisui wasn't really sure about someone as young as Sasuke getting what seemed to amount to a tattoo. "Does one have to be a certain age in order to be stamped?"

Jenny blinks, her eyes traveling back to Sasuke, as she notes the strange headband tied around Shisui's forehead. "Well…no, it doesn't hurt. And it's not like we let babies into the guild. I think the youngest member we've ever accepted was about ten. Most guilds won't accept anyone younger than that without rather special circumstances."

Sasuke smiles at her brightly. "I can already use the Fireball Jutsu." That made him an adult in his Clan's eyes. He didn't really know about here though.

"I know, Sasuke." Shisui nods at him approvingly. "But we should follow their customs. Perhaps in a few years, you can get a stamp. You likely wouldn't have gotten your headband until you were twelve anyway." Sasuke pouts slightly at this, but nods.

The youngest Uchiha in the room shakes his head. "They're nice, but we won't be here in a few years." After all, Itachi had said that his parents had agreed to let him come because he was on summer vacation from the Academy. "We won't be here that long."

Overhearing the conversation from near the job board, Itachi cringes, but well out of sight of his little brother. There was no telling how badly Sasuke would react when the truth came out, when he was finally told that they weren't going home.

Jenny tilts her head, frowning slightly. "But I thought you guy were here to join Blue Pegasus."

"For the summer." Sasuke nods. It never crossed his mind that they weren't going back home. "Why is it called BLUE Pegasus when everything is pink though?" That confused him.

Shisui bites back a groan. His innocent cousin had no idea what he was doing. "At least for the summer. The mission might take longer." He pleads with Jenny with his eyes to go along with it. Perhaps, he would explain things to her later or at least come up with a more elaborate justification for everything that was true, but not the whole truth. "One never truly knows about these sorts of things."

"I…see…" Obviously, there was something else going on, and Jenny's wizarding instincts were tingling. Obviously, there was something that the kid didn't know. And she'd be sure to get to the bottom of that later. "Anyway, the pink is all Master Bob's idea. It's called Blue Pegasus because blue flying horses are something of a theme here. Our emblems are blue, and we're even working on making a flying battleship shaped like a flying horse." She smiles widely. "It's called Christina. And no, its not pink."

Sasuke thought about asking how you could tell if it was a girl horse or a boy horse, but decides against it. "That sounds pretty." He smiles at the thought of a blue horse. His father would probably think such a thing was silly. Mother might like it though.

"I'm sure that it will look beautiful." Shisui nods, mentally sighing in relief. "As does everything else in this place." This was especially true when it came to the women.

Jenny giggles, swatting at Shisui playfully. "Oh, you'll fit in great with the hosting staff. The girls are going to love you."

"That's very kind of you to say and I'm sure that I'll return the sentiment." He smiles at her warmly. "You are a wizard as well then?"

Sasuke didn't really have much interest in the flirting that was going on. He might have only been seven, but he knew what it meant when girls started giggling for no reason. "What kind of jutsus do you use?" He looks at her curiously. The young child was far more interested in than that than who Shisui wanted to play Kissy Kissy with, as some of the Academy Students said. (Sasuke never said that though because that just sounded stupid in his mind)!

"Jutsu?" Jenny blinks bemusedly at the child, before deciding that Shisui's question makes more sense. "And yes, of course I'm a wizard. You have to be a wizard in order to join one of the magical guilds. I use Take-Over Magic and Transformation Magic." Her cheeks flush a little. "But I'm still working on controlling my take-overs, though."

"Take-Over Magic?" Shisui was almost certain he understood what Transformation Magic was, but the other one was a bit perplexing. "A most interesting name. What does it take over?" It seemed there was a lot to learn about this new world.

"Well, I can use my magic to absorb the properties of machines, and use them in battle." It was something that Jenny was very proud of, since it was a rather rare kind of magic. The only others she knew of who used that sort of magic were members of Fairy Tail. "For example, I can make battle armor out of it, or even use it to shock or stun people. And it makes me a whole lot stronger, so if I kick someone, they go flying! Sometimes I'm the one who can fly!"

That sounded vaguely similar to Puppet Master in his view. "Well I must confess that I find myself a bit envious. The closest I get to flying jumping through the trees or summoning my crows." That was one ability that certainty eluded him.

"You can fly?!" That got Sasuke's attention back. "Wow! I don't think even Itachi could do that." And his big brother could do everything!

"Yeah, when I really try." Jenny hops back a couple of steps, her body starting to glow. "I'm not very good at it yet, but I'll try and show you what I mean." The glow grows brighter, wrapping around her body like a second skin as her dress flutters and disappears, being replaced by plate of hard metal, tubes arching from shoulders to wrists as the white, purle, and dark pink envelops her in a light layer of machine-like armor. All except for her midriff, left exposed, along with her face. "This is my Machina Soul. Cool, isn't it?"

Shisui nods dumbly. Cool was one way to describe it. "It certainly look rather nice on you. Though I assume you use it more for practicality than the delightful aesthetic appeal?" Sasuke just claps in response.

"What, I can't do both?" She winks coyly at Shisui. "Though, I only ever use it if I'm strapped for cash and need to take a harder job. Modeling is usually enough to get by, though. And I'll be joining the hosting staff soon enough, so I'll get paid more than the serving staff. It's expensive to rent apartments in the city"

"I suppose that's a fair point." Well she was certainly flirtatious. "Still one would think you'd make more money modeling. Well more than just enough to get by." Not that he minded. "You must be one of these centerfolds, I keep hearing about?"

Jenny sighs, shaking her head. "No…not yet. The centerfolds make the most money, though." Despite that, she grins widely as her transformation wears off. "But I'm going to do it, just you wait and see! Someday, I'm going to be the one doing the bikini photo-spreads in the center of Sorcerer Weekly!"

He nods at her encouragingly. "I'm sure that you will." Bikinis were apparently what those tiny swimsuits were called. Such a marvelous invention.

"Oh, Jenny Honey, it's good to see you!" Bob pops up behind them, smiling at the girl. "Are you all done for the day?"

The blonde smiles happily. "Yeah, my shoots are over, so I'm just taking a break before my shift starts."

"Oh, such a good girl." Bob's wings flutter contentedly. "Now, I think we're missing someone. Where did young Itachi get off to?"

"Itachi!" Shisui turns his head towards the job board that had so enthralled his cousin. "Master Bob wishes to speak with you!" Honestly, he was going to have to have a look at that thing soon.

Ah, that's right, they were meeting with the guild master over a stamp soon. Itachi very nearly scampers over to the others, well, a graceful scamper anyway. "My apologies, I was simply looking at the request board that Hibiki showed to me." It was truly a marvelous thing, really. A board that covered the entire far wall, and was plastered with an enormous variety of job requests and other wizarding work.

Some jobs dealt with big tasks, like hunting criminals or monsters, while others involved protection or delivery over long distances, and others still involved fetching items or helping with regular, everyday tasks. Even things as mundane as construction or working at events or in shops. Still other were more specialized, dealing with curses or texts in other languages, or various other tasks that required very specific skill sets. The pay ranged from what he assumed was very little, to monumental amounts of money.

The currency, from what he could tell, worked much like their own, with small jobs paying anywhere up to ten or twenty thousand of these jewel, and the most dangerous of them paying as much as several hundred thousand, to over a million jewel. If one worked under the assumption that, like their ryo, small trinkets were often one, two, or even a few hundred units of currency, then he would guess that to rent out any kind of living space would likely cost them a hundred thousand jewel or more. Less, if they were extremely lucky. But he doubted that such luck would follow them. Needless to say, they would have to get to work soon if they were to have any hope of finding a place to stay quickly.

But that could wait until after their meeting. "Now, what was this about stamps?" He had taken note that there was a common theme in this place, an emblem of a blue horse head, and two wings encircling it. It seemed to be something of a guild crest, if he understood Hibiki correctly.

Bob holds up a small square box about the size of his outstretched hand. "Here in a magical guild, so that our members can be identified and allowed to work, we stamp an emblem somewhere on their body to prove that they're a member of the guild. Official member ship in a guild gets you all sorts of opportunities and benefits that you normally wouldn't have as a lone wizard."

"It's their headband." Sasuke nods knowledgeably as he watches Itachi speak with the guild master. "They're probably going to stamp Christina on you." He was pretty sure that's what Jenny had called the blue horse.

Jenny snickers as Bob chuckles at the child. "No, no, Christina is the ship we're building. This is just a stamp of a blue pegasus." He holds up the stamp as the bottom of it starts to glow blue. "So, who's first? You can choose to get the stamp wherever you like."

Shisui barely manages to suppress a snicker of his own at that. "I imagine the men have chosen some rather creative locations." Though he certainly could easily imagine the women putting it on their lovely breasts as well. "I suppose I shall go first. The shoulder seems a common choice."

"Alright, then, roll up your sleeve." Bob smiles cheerily as he raises the stamp. The shoulder certainly was the most standard choice. Easy to conceal easy to reveal, and not in some of the more exotic locations that some more daring members liked to put theirs. Not quite as daring as some of the Fairies in Magnolia, but he digressed.

"Alright then." He smiles and rolls up his sleeve. "I'm ready." They had said that it didn't hurt, but just in case it was better that he go first before Itachi.

Aiming the mark carefully for just above the boy's bicep, Bob presses the stamp to Shisui's shoulder, a few bubbles and sparkles leaving the stamp. There's an ever so slight tingle as Bob pulls the stamp away, revealing the blue emblem on Shisui's shoulder, having magically popped into existence. "There we are, all done."

"Wow." Sasuke blinks. "That's really pretty, Cousin Shisui." He smiles up at him and Shisui chuckles as he messes up Sasuke's hair and nods in agreement.

He turns towards Itachi. "They're right. It doesn't hurt." It was safe for the other Uchiha to get one, if he wanted.

So it seemed, though Itachi had a hard time believing that anything that shot out bubble and sparkles would hurt all that much. "Alright…?" Now…where to get it? The shoulder seemed traditional, but it was hardly something that would remind him of his choice. He'd allowed Shisui to drag him and Sasuke here, and thus, they were stuck. He had thrown away his old life, and he needed to remind himself of that. He needed this new reality to sink in. "Here." He tugs down his collar, revealing the place just below his collarbones. Easily revealed, easily concealed, and a place close to his heart, where it would remind him every time he looked in the mirror.

To Bob, it was a curious choice, but he didn't question it. "Alright, Dearie." He carefully positions the stamp pressing it firmly, but not painfully against the lean muscles of Itachi's chest. Sparkles, bubbles, and a little flash of light, and it was done. "Welcome to Blue Pegasus, Itachi, Shisui." He smiles fondly at the two boys. "I hope that you'll come to love being here."

"I'm sure that we will." Shisui smiles at him. "Right, Itachi?" They had gotten rather lucky. to find this place.

Sasuke watches the whole event curiously. "Is the mark permanent?" What were his parents going to say to Itachi getting what he figured was kinda like a tattoo?

"Well, yes and no." Bob smiles as he tucks away the stamp. "It's permanent unless you decide to remove it. But you only do that if you're leaving the guild. So don't worry, it won't wash off, no matter how much soap you use." Then he chuckles and crouches down near the boy. "Are you asking because you want one as well, Dearie?"

Well if it was going to disappear as soon as they left anyway, Sasuke supposed it didn't matter and this way he'd be a real ninja too! Kinda. "Jenny said that I was too young." Well she had implied it. She said they usually didn't take anyone under ten.

"Well, it takes a special kind of little boy or girl to be a wizard before they're even a teenager." Not that Bob was averse to having tiny wizards about, they just really weren't all that common. "Your cousin said that you can use magic. If you show me, you can have a stamp."

Itachi wasn't so sure that this was a good idea. Not because he thought that Sasuke would scorch the room. No, his little brother was still having some trouble making large fireballs, even if he was capable of it on occasion, but because Sasuke was just so young to be joining a place that was about getting work for wizards. Or ninjas, in their case, though he was beginning to suspect that there was very little difference, in the end. Then again, Sasuke would likely be getting a stamp eventually anyway, so letting him get it early wouldn't likely get him into any trouble. "Sasuke? Do you want a stamp?"

"Okay!" He smiles at Bob and Itachi. "We should probably go outside though." He didn't want to set the place on fire. Though it might be nice if they had to repaint the place. "I don't want to burn anything." That was a lot of pink.

"Oh, then this should be good!" Bob claps his hands together as his wings flutter, carrying him through the air and right through the wall, with the three Uchihas following close behind, only without the advantage of being able to walk through solid objects. "You know, we have a training ground behind the guild." He raises his voice so that the three boys can hear him. "The little wizards like using it to train some of their more dangerous magic. We'll probably find Ren out there, already hard at work."

Ren, Itachi took that to be one of the many guild members in this place. "And…what is it that he would be practicing?"He weaves his way downstairs and into the club, doing his best to keep the energetic guild master in sight.

"Air magic, it's his specialty." Bob slows down as they approach the back door. "This way, Dearies."

Shisui follows them outside in amusement. Sasuke had told them both that he could do the Fireball Jutsu now. He was rather proud of it as any Uchiha child would be. Honestly, it was probably the only Jutsu he knew unless the Academy had started teaching the children how to use the Transformation Jutsu earlier.

"Training grounds would be fun." Sasuke smiles at Bob. "We have those in our District." The District where his father had taught him this Jutsu. "You might want to stand back." It had taken a lot longer than Sasuke wanted for him to learn it and Fugaku had been close to deciding that Sasuke couldn't do it, when he finally managed it, but he had done it. "The fire can get pretty big..." And now, he was going to prove it!

"Alrighty." Bob waves his hand at a boy with darkly tanned skin, and even darker ebony hair half tied up in a ponytail. Air swirls all around him in fairly powerful gusts, making it obvious that his practice methods are very much by trial and error, rather than intense study. "Ren, Honey, why don't you take a break for a few minutes."

"Yes, Master Bob." He moves off to the side. "You're seriously testing that kid though?" Ren raises an eyebrow. "I'm not sure why that requires a training field. How much damage can he really do when he's still a squirt?"

Sasuke gives Ren a dirty look at that. He wasn't little! Well at least not in his class anyway. "We do too need the field! FIREBALL JUTSU!" He takes a giant gulp of air and blows it out in a great big gust, producing a fireball about the size of him.

"Oh my!" Bob cradles his cheeks as he watches the fiery display. "Such a talented little wizard!"

Itachi feels a sure of pride upon hearing those words. His little brother may still be small,but he was growing in strength by leaps and bounds. Or at least, so it seemed, until the fireball was mysteriously smothered by a sudden gust of wind. He didn't need three guesses to figure out who did that, as his eyes fall on the older wizard. He seemed to be about the same age as Hibiki and Shisui.

"Hey!" Sasuke grumbles and glares at the other boy. "You put out my fire!" And it had been one of his best ones yet!

"Yeah because I didn't want you to burn our guild down." Ren rolls his eyes. "Who is the idiot who is teaching the squirt to play with fire?"

"Our father." Itachi places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, staring at the wizard who 'rained on Sasuke's parade' so to speak. "It's something of a rite of passage in our clan. I was also producing fire by the time I was his age."

"Well, then your clan is crazy. Who teaches magic like that to kids?" He couldn't believe it. "Teaching people to throw fire before puberty is a recipe for disaster."

"I can show you a disaster!" Sasuke puffs up at Ren. "I didn't need you to put out my fire and I'm old enough to make Fire Jutsus!" His father wouldn't have taught him, if he hadn't been!

Bob chuckles at the sight of his little wizards arguing. "Maki has a little fire wizard of his own. I've heard all sorts of stories during the conferences about him. Such a strong little boy."

Shisui watches the boy "picking on" on Sasuke. He was debating about intervening, but he doubted this Ren character was going to seriously try anything with the guild master right there. "Is fire a common ability around here?" He glances at Bob out of the corner of his eye while he watches Sasuke and Ren.

"Well, elemental magic is as common as any other kind of ability magic. But there always was something rather special about that boy." Bob eyes Itachi with a smile as Sasuke begins chasing around a hovering Ren. "In fact, I think he's just about your age."

"Sasuke!" Shisui shakes his head at the young boy who was trying his damnest to catch Ren. "You can't just blow fireballs at people!" It reminded him of a cat trying to catch a bird.

"Really?" Itachi ignores Sasuke's antics for the most part, as well as Shisui's admonishments. As far as he was concerned, this was god target practice. Largely because he doubted that Ren would be so easily defeated by a child half his age. "Then is it common for wizards to begin their training young?" He as getting mixed messages, really. They didn't seem to have many young wizards, and yet, teenaged wizards seemed to be the norm.

"Most wizards take time to pick up their talents, but there's some cases of young ones who start when they're barely old enough to walk." Bob sighs at the memories of his own days as a young wizard, many decades ago.

"Maybe, their chakra has a hard time manifesting until they're bodies can handle the pressure." Shisui ponders the matter out loud. "I doubt their physical training regimes are as intense as ours. They don't seem too focused on taijutsu, if it doesn't involve fitting into swimsuits."

"Perhaps." Itachi laughs softly at the sight of Sasuke starting to look like he's about to fall over. "But I'm sure that there are many kinds of…magic out there that we are still unfamiliar with." He looks to his cousin uncertainly, lowering his voice. "And it would be best for us to learn about them as quickly as possible, don't you think?"

Shisui nods in agreement. That seemed like a productive endeavor. "I agree. Master Bob, do you have a library that we might be able to explore?" That would probably be the fastest way to become acquainted with such things."

Bob sighs, shaking his head. "Not the kind of library to write home about, we're still updating it." They used new computer databases infused with lacrima crystals for those kinds of things, and Hibiki was still tweaking them. "But I'm sure that if you ask Hibiki, he should be able to use his Archive Magic to answer any questions you have. Other than that, I'd just suggest that you ask your guildmates. There's many different kinds of magic, and the only way to truly understand them is to ask someone who's been practicing it most of their life."

"I see…" That made sense. After all, Itachi could explain the powers of the Sharingan well enough, even to someone without it. But it was these other magics that baffled him. It did seem to be best to experience it all firsthand, if possible.

"Thank you." Shisui smiles at him. He was most eager to explore this Archive. "Well I believe Sasuke has made his point and I hope that he didn't singe Ren."

"Oh, Ren will be perfectly fine!" Bob waves his hand at the air wizard, calling him off. "Ren, Honey, your shift starts soon!"

"Pft. Kid thinks he's a hotshot with his fireballs." Ren smirks as he walks over to Bob. "I'm fine. Not like he could hit me anyway."

"Hey Ren!" Hibiki sticks his head out the back door of the guild. "Come on! We're on!" He was decked out in a dark suit and bright blue dress shirt, hair combed semi-wildly around his face. "The evening clients are on the way."

Sasuke blinks at the fancy clothes. "Strange place." But everyone seemed happy here. "Itachi, are all your missions like this?"

"No, Sasuke, not all of them." In fact, he had never been required to wear anything at all like that. Itachi was frankly bewildered by the choice of dress. Just what kind of place was this?

Bob chuckles at the sight of Ren nonchalantly racing inside. "Those boys are two of the most popular hosts in Blue Pegasus. They're always being requested by our clients."

"What...exactly do the hosts do for the clients?" Shisui blinks. Those were rather expensive looking clothes. "Those look a bit luxurious to wear on a normal mission."

"Of course, they're for wearing inside the guild. They're part of the uniform that the wizards wear when working with our clients." Bob toddles towards the door, smiling brightly. "I run the bar while the hosts socialize with the clientele. After all, the most important part of a club is its hospitality!"

Sasuke tilts his head at that. As far as he could tell, Bob was saying that people got paid to dress up nicely and entertain people? That seemed more like acting than being a ninja. Was there some kind of trick to it? Were they spying on these 'clients'?

"Ah I see." Shisui really didn't, but he would pretend he did. "Well I'm sure we'll catch on quickly enough." If nothing else, Uchiha had proven themselves to be fast learners.

"Good, then let's get you two changed and see how you do on the floor!" Bob claps his hands eagerly as he flutters inside. The boys were friendly and polite, and so very pretty. He was sure they'd do just fine.

"Itachi, I definitely don't think we're in the Leaf anymore." Sasuke looks around in awe of all the colors and well all the strangeness. Pegasi, wizards, and a strange little man named Bob could only mean one thing. "This is going to be one very weird summer." He might only be seven, but Sasuke knew that this place was nothing like home.


	4. Chapter 4

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. In this chapter, we jump several years into the future. Unless otherwise indicated in a flashback, four years have passed since the last chapter. Oh and yes for those of you wondering , the Uchihas will display more of their cannon abilities and some new ones as we go along. Anyway, we hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation** : Sasuke learned Chidori during the timeskip. Even without Kakashi, we believe that his natural lightning affinity would have manifested itself either way and it's not improbable that he would have come up with the name. As for the nature of any fights, the Uchihas have lived in Earthland for several years and hopefully, that will explain any differences in abilities you see. Remember, even the most powerful ninja can be knocked down if they're...distracted. Happy reading!

Chapter 4

Itachi sighs, glancing warily at his little brother. Four years. Four years and some months since that day they walked into Blue Pegasus with Master Bob. Only for everything to nearly explode in their faces less than three months later, when Sasuke found out the truth, that they were never going home.

 _It wasn't the easiest thing that Itachi had ever done, but he was settling in well to life as part of Blue Pegasus. He and Shisui were working long hours on the weekends, while they alternated going out during the week to take small jobs. The jobs were easy enough, or at least, they weren't risky, but some definitely required rather creative solutions. Ones that didn't involve fighting, but rather, a gentler touch._

 _But it was when Itachi had come back from a job to find his little brother sitting in the guild hall waiting for him, that he knew something was wrong. Sasuke was being quiet, too quiet. Not that Sasuke was the loudest person in the guild, far from it. But something just seemed…off with his rambunctious little brother._

 _So, Itachi strides towards the bar, his traveling pack slung over his shoulder. "Sasuke? Is something wrong?" He really shouldn't have asked that question._

 _Sasuke looked up at him with ruby red eyes and an expression that Itachi had never seen on his little brother before. Fury. "You lied to me! You both did!" His words were full of anger, but it almost seemed as if Sasuke was too stunned to get up. "They're dead. Aren't they?" The now eight year old's words were practically dripping with venom. "That's why you and Shisui are trying to buy a house. If we were going back, if they were ALIVE, you wouldn't need to buy a house!"_

 _Shit. How did Sasuke even KNOW about those plans? They wouldn't be able to pull it off for another five or six years, at least, even if they took some of the higher paying jobs. But Itachi had been so sure that they kept their financial records and calculations under wraps._

 _And then there were those eyes…red eyes. Itachi saw them, and honestly, he wanted to cry. Sasuke wasn't supposed to have red eyes. He was NEVER supposed to know the pain, the sadness that came with those eyes. "Sasuke, what are you talking about? We don't have the money to buy a house." Even the place they were renting wasn't cheap, a hundred and fifty thousand jewel a month for a place to fit all three of them. Not that they weren't planning on upgrading eventually, but still, buying a house was a prospect far on the horizon._

 _"Not yet." Sasuke stumbled to his feet. "But you're saving for one." He looked at Itachi as though he wasn't sure what he wanted to do next. Uncertainty and anger filled those eyes though it was obvious that something else had filled them not long ago. "If you're only staying in a place for a couple months, there's no reason to save for a house." He looks at Itachi. "I'm not you. I'm not Shisui, but I was at the top of my class. I know that much!"_

 _His little brother wasn't stupid, Itachi knew that much. So, he held out his hand to Sasuke, ignoring all of the stares directed their way. "Come on, let's talk about this outside."_

 _He should have been happy. Sasuke had the Sharingan now. He could feel the difference, but his mind felt like a stormy sea. Waves upon waves of emotions were crashing down on him all at once. "Don't lie to me! They're dead!" He barely had time to decipher one from the next before he was hit with another. Anger, shock, sadness, and sometimes...just for blissful moment or two, he felt completely numb. "There's no point in lying anymore." Sasuke takes his hand. "Jenny asked me how the saving was going." That's how he found out about the house._

 _Dammit, that explained everything. The girl was amazingly sweet, but she couldn't keep a secret to save her life. "It's…complicated, Sasuke." Itachi sighed as he led his little brother outside to the small garden and orchard just beyond the training field. "And…I don't know. I don't know if they're alive or not. But it's true that Shisui and I have begun saving up money. At the rate we're going…we might be able to buy a place in ten or twelve years…but maybe half that, once you're older." Once they could take the harder jobs without worrying about leaving Sasuke alone for longer periods of time._

 _"Why are we here then?" If they didn't know, what were they doing here?! "We should go back! If we don't know, we need to go back and help them. Help them with..." Well actually, Sasuke wasn't sure why they were really here in the first place. "With whatever is wrong!" Apparently, this was not a regular mission. Something must have happened in the Leaf. Something horrible._

 _Itachi sighed and leaned back against a tree, sinking down until he sat in the soft grass. "Sasuke…come here." He patted the ground next to him, waving Sasuke down._

 _He sits down, mostly because somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he didn't really have another choice. "Why did we run?" That's what they had really been doing. Running form something or someone, he decides. "What scared you and Shisui so badly, that you grabbed me and left our clan behind?" He had never imagined something could scare either of them, but it must have. Why else would they be here?_

 _Sighing, Itachi places his hand on Sasuke's head, ruffling the spiky locks as he leans Sasuke's head on his shoulder. "Because when people are afraid, they do terrible things. And someone was so afraid of our clan that they were going to do something terrible. Shisui found out, and I already knew that the situation between our clan and the rest of the village was getting worse. But until Shisui suggested this plan, I hadn't truly realized just how bad."_

 _His fingers twitch, and he closes his eyes. "We hoped…that if Shisui and I left, that they wouldn't see our clan as a threat anymore. There would be no need to go to war with the Leaf if the Uchiha Clan lost it's two greatest prodigies…but there was always the chance it wouldn't work. And Shisui decided that the only way I would go with him was if we took you with us. Because…the only other way to protect you, would have been for me to massacre our entire clan myself…and plead for mercy for you, to spare you…"_

 _Itachi swallows thickly. "To protect you, and me, Shisui decided that the best plan was to take us and run to another world entirely. And we left behind instructions for Father, just in case the worst didn't happen…in case some of the clan survived."_

 _"I thought...he was just Flickering us somewhere." Shisui was sometimes called Shisui of the Body Flicker. As far as Sasuke knew, he was the best at that technique. "We're not even in our WORLD anymore?" He felt as if he had been slapped._

 _Sasuke didn't know how to process any of that. "I thought that we were important to the village. That we were in charge of the military police force and they needed us." Why would they want their Clan wiped out? He didn't understand. "There's a chance though? That they might follow?" How would they even find them, if they did though. Sasuke could only assume this was a big world. The odds they were going to be dropped into this guild seemed...depressingly low._

 _"I'm sorry, Sasuke…" Itachi sighs, stroking his brother's hair comfortingly. "Yes, they might follow us, maybe. Shisui set the jutsu so that they would appear in this world, if they used the tablets as we did. But whether or not they come…it could be that our plan failed, and that our clan has been attacked anyway. What matters…is that you are safe."_

 _"Mother and Father aren't though." Sasuke could feel the tears stinging his cheeks again. "Neither is the rest of the Clan!" They were probably dead or if they weren't, it would be a miracle if they found it. "Why me? Why did you take me instead of one of them?" Almost anyone would have been a better choice. Father was stronger than him. Their mother was skilled at genjutsu. "I'll only slow you two down." Their grandparents were wise. So why him? It didn't make any sense._

 _Sasuke wasn't the only one in tears, but Itachi's were far quieter. "Because…foolish little brother, you are the one I love most."_

But it had been a long time since then, and Sasuke had long since stopped obsessing over not going home. But since then, he had gone into intense training, studying everything that Itachi and Shisui could teach him about hand to hand combat, weapons, and even the occasional delving into elemental manipulation. Things worked…differently in this world, the magic in the air made their ninjutsu much easier to use, though harder to control. It was a fine line that they walked, and even Itachi found himself being thrown off a bit at times.

Now was not one of those times, because at seventeen, he was working hard as a host for Blue Pegasus' club. And honestly, the salary was secondary to the tips. The tips were everything with an elite clientele. All one had to do was be charming and 'pretty', and you could make more in tips in one weekend than a whole month's salary.

Not that he only worked weekends. The weekdays were for him and Shisui to leave the city on harder and better-paying jobs, having grown more comfortable with leaving Sasuke at home to take on small jobs in the city, or work part-time at the club. Their savings were growing, though they continued to be frugal about spending. After all, they had a goal to reach in a few years, and dropping fifteen to twenty million jewel on a house wasn't something that one could do without preparation.

Which is why it really shouldn't have surprised him to see Sasuke waiting for him at the bar, a flyer sitting on the counter in front of him. Itachi sighs, shaking his head as his last shift of the weekend ends. "Have you found yourself another job dealing with a small infestation of those pesky goblins again?" He remembered the last time Sasuke had sought revenge on the little monsters. He had come back to the guild battered and bruised, but with a not so small reward of seventy thousand jewel to show for it.

"I'd be a Genin back home." Sasuke shakes his head as he shows Itachi the flyer. "I can handle more than goblins." And he knew it. "I've been training with you, Shisui, and some of the others for years." He'd at least tried to dabble in what seemed to be dozens of kinds of magic. Though lightning and fire came most naturally to him. That and Taijutsu. "They aren't even wizards. They're just thieves." He reasons, figuring that Itachi would fight him on this. "And it's worth four hundred and fifty thousand jewel."

Itachi pauses, glancing down at the flyer. There had to be a catch. There was no way that just a bunch of thieves would be worth that high a bounty. "I will admit that you have gotten quite a lot stronger, but don't you think that maybe you should go into the two to three hundred thousand range before jumping up to nearly half a million? You're still learning." That, and it was far enough away that it worried Itachi. "And you would have to take a magic-mobile to get there, you would be on it for the better part of a day."

"I can't help as much because I'm too young to host." Sasuke glances at Itachi. "It seems like the least I can do and it really isn't anything more difficult than I would have been doing on a squad. It's quite a bit of money, if you're that concerned you could come with me." He shrugs and adds an afterthought. "Bring Shisui if you want, but he'll probably be too busy flirting with any of the female thieves to be much help or trying to look up their skirts." Sasuke smirks.

He was mostly joking. Sasuke wasn't entirely sure what other Guilds were like. Anything he heard about them was secondhand, but he was pretty damn sure that Blue Pegasus had a pretty liberal view on all things sensual in nature and well, his cousin seemed to rather enjoy that philosophy.

"Bob will probably give it to me, if I ask." It wasn't that Sasuke couldn't recognize a pretty girl when he saw one. He was twelve and he did have eyes, but he was different than Shisui or even Itachi. "Do you really think petty thieves are going to stand up to my fireballs or Chidori?" It was more that he remembered what his father had said.

There were three things that could bring about the downfall of any male ninja. Gambling, alcohol, and women. Sasuke didn't gamble and he didn't drink. So he was pretty careful about the last one.

Itachi frowns at the flyer. While it was certainly a job that he would take on his own, having Sasuke along, or rather, tagging along with Sasuke in this case, made him nervous. "Are you sure that you can handle a job this difficult? You'll likely need to track down the thieves, before even attempting to fight them." Though he certainly couldn't argue regarding Shisui's…love of the opposite sex. He was even more open an individual here than he was in their old world.

"I'm sure." Sasuke nods determinedly. "Besides, they're are twelve of them. It's hard to hide a group that large no matter how stealthy they are, they aren't ninjas." He and Itachi had the advantage as far as he was concerned.

Itachi scrutinizes the flyer once more, before turning to see the determined look on his little brother's face. "And you waited until the end of my shift because you knew that I would disapprove of you taking the job by yourself, waiting until I was available to go with you in order to silence my complaints, is that it?"

He smiles at him charmingly, like he had seen Hibiki do to some people when he wanted something. "Exactly." And if that didn't work, he WOULD release the Bubble Eyes Jutsu!

The elder brother narrows his eyes slightly. "You've been taking lessons from Hibiki, haven't you?" And after he'd warned that playboy not to teach his little brother anything to make him even MORE foolish. "…Very well, go and collect you traveling pack, and fill it with enough food for four days."

"Only about how to win arguments." Sasuke beams at him. "Nothing...about other stuff." And with that, he dashes off to get his stuff.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Itachi reaches behind the bar to find his own pack, with a spare change of clothes inside for after his shift. After all, while Hibiki, Ren, and Eve might be perfectly content to go on jobs while wearing the dressy uniform, Itachi was not. And, as his shift was over, and Shisui's as well, he has no compunction about calling for the idiot across the guild hall. "Shisui, get changed, we're leaving!"

"What?" He blinks as he darts inside the changing room to change. "Why? Where are we going?" Shisui calls out a few minutes later as he walks over to join them.

Changed out of his uniform as well, Itachi shakes his head at his little brother. "Because it seems that Sasuke wants to try his luck with one of the higher-paying jobs. And since I would rather not having him sneak off in the middle of the night just to prove that he can 'contribute', we are going with him." Honestly, it was fine if Sasuke wanted to earn pocket money, but he was far too young to be worrying about household expenses. That was Itachi's job.

Shisui chuckles at that and shakes his head. "This coming from someone who was an ANBU Captain before they even got their first kiss." It was only natural Sasuke would want to prove himself a capable fighter in a family of overachievers. "Alright. Let's give it a go then."

Itachi rolls his eyes. "I suppose you're one to talk, Shisui." Itachi tucks away his uniform and trades it for another bag behind the bar. "And just how many kisses have you stolen this month?"

"It's not stealing, if they're freely given." He winks at Sasuke. "Remember that, always ask first." Sasuke just shakes his head at their antics.

"Of course not." There were some days when Itachi wondered if all of Shisui's freely given affection would come back to bite him in the ass. Yet, somehow, all of the women easily forgave him for flirting with others. It was a phenomenon that occurred only around Shisui, because Itachi had witnessed how women would fight over Hibiki, and it was never pretty. "And do try to resist looking up the skirts of any women among the thieves. It seems that is one of Sasuke's concerns."

Shisui blinks at that. "Well I guess he's an early bloomer after all." The eldest Uchiha snickers slightly. "It wouldn't be a concern for him, if he hadn't thought about it first."

Sasuke could swear that his face was burning hotter than any flames Itachi could produce. "T-That is not what I meant!" He would have flailed, if such actions weren't beneath him. He did have a reputation to protect!

Groaning softly, Itachi pinches the bridge of his nose. "Let's just…go. We have thieves to catch, and almost a half million jewel to collect." And hopefully, by the end of this job, he would still have hid sanity. And his dignity.

* * *

They had been tracking the thieves for the better part of a week. Sasuke had lived in Earthland (as this place was apparently called) for a few years now and thus, he knew the geography well enough to realize that they were slowly getting closer to the forests surrounding the town of Magnolia. That meant that they were getting closer to the Fairy Tail Guild, though that didn't bother Sasuke much.

While they had a reputation for destroying a lot of public and private property, the Fairy Tail Guild wasn't a Dark Guild. They were even allied with Blue Pegasus in something of an informal alliance of guilds. A trio with Lamia Scale. That and honesty, the name. "They're definitely here. There's been a string of reports of wealthy merchants getting hit from the Woodsea, all the way through Onibas. They've got to be holed up in here now." It just made it rather hard for Sasuke to view them as a threat. Maybe, that was on purpose though.

Maybe they were really evil masterminds and they chose the least threatening name they could think of to lower everyone's guard? "I'm going to disguise myself using the Transformation Jutsu and they'll attack me. You two can strike them while they're trying to rob me." His plan was simple. Simple, but effective.

He'd take the form of a wealthy merchant traveling on his own. Easy pickings for a group like that and then, they would bite off more than they could chew. These were skilled fighters by thief standards, but they weren't trained in the same way the three of them were and if they really gave Sasuke any trouble, he'd just try out some experimental variations of his newly trademarked technique. The Chidori.

It was a good plan, and one that Itachi could certainly see working. The one part he didn't like was using Sasuke as the bait. Not that he expected a bunch of thieves to be able to get the drop on his little brother, but it was the principle of the thing, really. "And you remember how to substitute yourself, in case things go wrong?" Always with a backup plan.

"Yes, Itachi." Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm not a child anymore." He loved Itachi and idolized him. Sasuke just wished that sometimes his brother would acknowledge that he was perfectly capable of standing on his own two feet now.

Sighing, Itachi places his hand on top of Sasuke's head and presses their foreheads together. "I know, Sasuke, I know… But I am your big brother, and it's my job to worry about you." Even if Sasuke was growing incredibly quickly, both physically, and in his abilities, Itachi still worried like a mother hen. Someone had to. "Just be careful. Shisui and I will be in the trees watching everything."

He shakes his head at that. "Do you have any idea how wrong that sounds?" Sasuke smirks as he does the Transformation Jutsu and gets into position.

"They grow up so fast." Shisui chuckles at Sasuke's subtle dirty joke as he watches him like a hawk. "You don't need to worry about him as much. We trained him ourselves."

"It's a futile battle, I know…" Itachi climbs into the trees with Shisui at his heels. "But he will always be my baby brother, even if he is picking up your bad habit of making dirty jokes." Which Itachi would have to beat out of Shisui at a later time.

"That one was funny and tasteful." Shisui clicks his tongue at Itachi disapprovingly. "Sad day when a twelve year old is more advanced than you, Itachi."

"Just because I choose not to engage in the telling of dirty jokes, does not mean that he is more 'advanced' than I am." Honestly, the nerve of his cousin. Itachi was not nearly the flirt that Shisui was, be he was more than capable of charming a woman if he felt like it. And there were no dirty jokes required.

While there was simmering annoyance high above in the trees, on the ground, it was an entirely different story. The appearance of a wealthy looking young man had shadows in the trees tittering with excitement. They had made a stretch of nearly a thousand miles their victims, attacking merchants, nobles, and other wealthy marks along the northwest to southeast trade routes. And now, there was a fool traveling through the dangerous East Forest with no protection, and no idea that he was going to be the next victim of the Vulcans, taking their name from the monsters who roamed the mountains and forests of Fiore.

Unbeknownst to them, Sasuke knew they were there. He could hear them. He feigned ignorance though. "Damn it." His voice just loud enough to get their attention without being too out of place as he pretends to trip over an imaginary root. Not that it was difficult, there were roots everywhere in this place.

If they were the sort of thieves that the flyer indicated they were, this is when they were most likely to strike. They outnumbered him and his guard was down. His back was exposed. They'd be idiots not to (or have morals, which in their line of work would be rather counterproductive).

A vile smirk crosses the leader's face as he swipes his hand through the air, signaling his comrades to fly down on the 'unsuspecting' man below. It was time to strike, and even if his men couldn't make it big in a mercenary guild or as treasure hunters, they were certainly doing well for themselves as thieves. And he found it much more profitable than being in a dumb wizard's guild. All he had to do was lead them, stay out of sight, and use his magic in a subtle manner, and no one ever knew he was there.

Twelve thieves drop from the trees, all armed to the teeth, and half still hidden in the shadows of the trunks flitting in and out of sight as the other half of the company approach the poor, dumb idiot who thought that taking a walk in the woods was a good idea.

A tall blond one with a sword slung over his shoulder approaches the young man standing alone. "You're pretty far from home, ain't cha? You know, rich brats like you don't do well in forests like this. They're dangerous."

"You know, quiet thieves tend to have far more successful careers than those who never know when to shut up." Sasuke shrugs as he slams his foot into the man's chest with enough force that it stopped just short of being bone crushing. "NOW!" He knew that Itachi and Shisui would come running.

As predicted, Shisui Flickers behind one of the men and strikes him to the back of the head. "You really shouldn't attack a man while he's down." He tsks. "Is there no honor amongst thieves these days?" His Sharingan activates as he looks for the best way to neutralize the other ten.

But ten there were not, as three of them already lay on the ground, bleeding from wounds caused by Itachi's tanto. He saw no reason to be too gentle with them, after all, the client had said that many of those who had been robbed had been badly injured, and a few nearly killed. A second pair of red eyes turns on the remaining seven, cold anger evident within them.

But the three of them were not the only ones watching the less than competent thieves. The true thief lay in wait in the trees, eyebrow raised at the sight of the child who had once been transformed into a man, and the two who greatly resembled him. They were strong. Mercenaries? Or perhaps…guild wizards?

This could be quite fun.

The others were understandably less than pleased that several of their comrades had been knocked out with ease and rushed at the three of them. "If it looks too good to be true, it probably is! Chidori!" Sasuke radiates the blue lightning around his body, shocking the two who had lunged at him off of him and dazing them just enough that he was able to Lion's Barrage them.

"Ahh!" One of the thieves had taken advantage of Shisui's lack of attention as the oldest Uchiha was watching the youngest fight and stabbed him in the back. Literally. "Coward!" Shisui whirls around and slams him into the tree.

"Shisui!" Sasuke rushes over to help him and notes with some relief that it looked liek his cousin had already yanked the knife out. It hadn't sunk in too deeply then. That's when another of the thieves slammed into Sasuke and knocked him into the ground. "Sneaky son of a bitch, Sasuke slams his knee into the man's ribs, knocking the wind out of him as he manages to pin him and knock him out. "Shisui, are you okay?!"

"He'll be fine, now watch yourself!" Itachi's short-sword whirls around as he makes signs with one hand, a blast of energy racing out in a circle around them and knocking the few remaining thieves back several meters. He hadn't been idle these last few years, there was always something more to learn, and a few basic spells here and there were something Itachi was glad to add to his repertoire.

What it didn't do was nullify the earthen storm that appeared out of nowhere, dust swirling around them, its tiny, razor-sharp particles cutting into Itachi's hand and forcing him to pull back towards his brother and cousin to evaluate the situation. "It seems that you were wrong, Sasuke. There is a wizard in their ranks."

"Well he wasn't listed on the flyer." Sasuke scowls. "That doesn't matter though." Earth magic that hit with some sort of cutting attack. Did they have anything to counter that?

Itachi frowns as the whirlwind of sharp earth, likely pieces of slate, or another rocky shrapnel, closes in on them. He had an affinity for water back in their old world, but there was no abundance of water here, and this was clearly not the work of an amateur.

Little tricks were not going to work. Silently incanting the same spell, it manages to force the localized storm back a little, but giving no great amount of headway. "I do not know if our fire would be wise, from what I can tell, this is some kind of barrier magic, and I would rather not find out if it can turn our abilities back on us." It also made illusions completely useless. "Shisui, do you think you can flicker outside of it?"

Shisui nods as he grabs them. "I can." The eldest Uchiha proceeds to do exactly that, landing them a ways outside of the barrier. Though that wasn't much help when it came to locating him, the wizard was still well out of sight, and none of them were particularly experienced at sensing others. It just wasn't their specialty.

The ground throughout the forest begins to rumble, groaning in protest against the magic forcing it to move. Cracks form around the roots of the trees, weakening their support structure, and making them unsteady. Something that did not escape Itachi's eyes. "Careful, the trees could come down at any moment."

"Got it." Sasuke nods his eyes on full alert. "I have no idea where this guy came from. He wasn't listed." How had he managed to travel with them unnoticed for so long?

"Well, it hardly matters now." It may have been outside the parameters of their job, but circumstances often changed, whether you were a ninja or a wizard. Itachi knew that for a fact. "Stay together and try to feel him out. He'll likely stay hidden, attacking from the shadows. Keep an eye on the trees." He eyes a few trees off to the far left, already starting to fall over. "He'll aim to crush us under them."

The best course of action would be to remain calm and use his crows to seek out their attacker. And he prepares to do exactly that as dark birds begin to materialize out of thin air, swirling around him, before spreading out in search of their foe.

Sasuke and Shisui also begin their own explorations. Sasuke throwing kunai at the most likely hiding spots. While he didn't expect them to hit him, he'd likely go to dodge and the movement would be enough to find his real location.

Shisui on the other hand was searching for his chakra signature. "I'm looking." Which while magic and chakra seemed to be fundamentally the same thing, there were differences. Differences that made sensory type tactics more difficult than they were in the Leaf.

Chakra was more stable. More solid. Its state was almost fixed. While it could change, a person fundamentally had a primary type they were born with. Magic on the other hand was more natural. It could come from just the general surroundings of a wizard themselves or inside them. Which made it difficult to distinguish sometimes between the natural environment and a wizard's 'chakra' so to speak. They just didn't have the experience to feel him out in such a fashion.


	5. Chapter 5

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Okay, I promised Silver I'd be gentler in this note, but there's still something to address. And here I thought we'd addressed it enough in the last attempt at a crossover. Obviously not. But the fact is that if you guys want perfect Mary Sues for a main cast, this is NOT the crossover for you. We do NOT do infallible Uchihas (to err is to be human), and the fact is that compared to the things they would have been doing in their old world, they're not doing the dangerous life and death missions much anymore. And after a few years of relative peace and safety, anyone is bound to get a little softer in their approach to things. So if you want every fight to end with a vicious instant KO, then just…no. Also, keep in mind that this is Sasuke without the curse mark (so no tanking Naruto), without the formal ninja training, and without a boatload of rage driving him. So at twelve in another world, he's not as ruthless or 'powerful' as he is at thirteen in canon. Remember that.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** I do apologize for the authors' notes barrage. At its heart this is a love story a nature vs nurture story. The Uchihas have undergone a vastly different experience than in canon. Their personalities and strengths are going to reflect that to a degree. There will be fight scenes and we are going to bring in as many of their cannon abilities as possible (and add some new ones), but no they aren't going to solve every problem instantly. I know there are a lot of superfans who enjoy that sort of thing and to each their own, but this story has an arc of development. They are going to get stronger as it goes along, not just start off at full Shippuden era strength.

Chapter 5

In the darkness of his magic, the wizard smirks widely, watching as the three wizards below search for him, while simultaneously ridding the makeshift battleground of his remaining pawns. They were professionally trained fighters, reinforced by his magic. But it seemed that in the end, they were no match for trained wizards. But it was apparent that they were trying to sense him, he could tell as much. But they would have to do much better than that.

As if such paltry measures would be enough to discover him. The mere thought of it was laughable. In trying to locate him, they would fail, as his magic was merging with that of the earth, enveloping the entire area with crushing force. Yes, he would crush these wizards for daring to stand against him. They would not take his life, and they would not take his riches either. "The Light Guilds haven't changed a bit. They're as weak and clueless as ever."

"Weak and clueless, you say? Says the coward who attacks from the shadows." The man turns, seeing only a flash of scarlet before a firm kick is planted in his back, courtesy of an armored boot. "I know who you are, Zieba Ina, and it is time that you be made to face justice."

Itachi's crows begin to go ballistic, homing in on one spot as a writhing figure falls from the trees, the landscape around him warping as the magic that once concealed him is undone. "There!" But why was he falling from the trees?

No. No dark wizard worth his salt would fall so easily. He would NOT fall to some outsider from a Light Guild. He slams his palms together, magic circles appearing all around him as he falls through the air. "You'll pay for that, you fool!" And from the circles, boulders rise from the ground, flying in all directions through the air, taking down a number of trees in the process.

Sasuke was momentarily distracted by the sight of a beautiful red head who appeared similarly out of nowhere adorned in pristine armor with cloth pauldrons of orange, scarlet, and gold about her hips and shoulders. "Damn it!" And he almost got crushed by a boulder because of said distraction.

"Sasuke!" Shisui calls out to his cousin who almost got crushed by a damn boulder of all things. "Are you okay?" He knew that he was still bleeding, but he had survived far worse wounds than his current injuries.

Sasuke nods. "I'm fine!" This was their best chance. The wizard was still falling through the air. If he could get past those boulders, then he'd be good.

"Shisui, open it for us!" Itachi takes hold of the back of Sasuke's shirt, pulling him through most of the mess of flying boulders. He just couldn't get a good lock on the man's eyes, even as his own glowed red. All he needed was an instant. And by the looks of it, the young woman bounding through the trees wasn't even going to need that much.

"Raging Typhoon!" A giant gust of wind whirls around Shisui, shoving the boulders away from his clansmen and the red head that he recognizes to be Erza of Fairy Tail. "Now, Sasuke! Now!

Every ninja or wizard had trademarks in Shisui's mind. He and Itachi had numerous trademarks, but Sasuke currently had three. Fire, lightning, and Taijutsu attacks. There was one in particular that was well suited to deal with a falling opponent, he thinks to himself as he continues launching a flurry of wind in an effort to keep the boulders away from them.

He was soon proven right in his suspicions. "Lion's Barrage!" Crunch! Smack! Bam! Over and over again, Sasuke slammed his fists and feet into the other man's back before jumping out of the way. "Itachi!" Seemingly in his mind at least, having cleared the way for his brother to capture the man via Genjutsu.

Itachi's eyes fall on the man before them, crimson locking with eyes the color of churned mud. But something was wrong. The man's energy was…strange, not as solid as he expected. It had color, yes, but the man's body seemed just as suffused with energy as everything around them. It blended neatly into the background, into the writhing earth around them. Then again,wizards had a habit of exchanging energy with their environment constantly, absorbing magic particles right out of the air itself.

Still, what confirms his budding suspicions isn't the way the man's magic blends into the surrounding environment, but the fact that even casting genjutsu, he refuses to stop moving. "It's a fake!" Of course it as a fake. The boulders were a distraction to allow him time to escape and prepare a new assault. And above them, their enemy was already bearing down on them.

"Photon Slicer!" The sound of trees cracking is accompanied by three bursts of bright, crackling lightning as Itachi looks up, shielding his eyes with some amount of futility from the sight of the errant redhead who had dropped unexpectedly into the middle of their battle. Her attack scatters what looks to be the remnants of a layer of stone armor, once donned by the dark wizard.

Zieba's pained screams are heard throughout the forest as he slams back into a tree, punching a hole straight through it as the redhead appears just behind him. "Those who do evil…" Her swords disappearing, she aims a single mighty punch at the man's head. "Will fall by my hand!"

The man flies clear through the last few boulders to fall, slamming into another tree, this one older, thicker, and forming a crater in it, before the entire trunk gives way, collapsing to the ground as the redhead lands deftly before them.

Sasuke and Shisui both blink at the display. That was some rather...concentrated chakra to say the least. "Do you think that he's still alive?" The younger Uchiha looks at his cousin.

"I'm not...entirely sure." He nods at Erza politely. "Thank you for your assistance. I presume you were after him?" Why this wizard hadn't been listed on the flyer was a complete mystery to him, though he doubted the Queen of Fairies' presence here was a mystery.

Shisui didn't know her well. He'd only seen her a handful of times before. Enough to recognize that she was from an allied guild, her name, and bits and pieces of her fearsome reputation, but not much more.

"Indeed, that is the job I was hired to do." Her body glows, armor disappearing and being replaced with a simple pair of tall black boots, blue skirt, and armored breastplate with her guild emblem emblazoned on it. "Zieba Ina, a dark wizard formerly of the Dark Guild known as Gloria. He is one of the few remnants left of the guild after it collapsed some months ago."

Her eyes fall on the three young wizards, only one of them approximately her own age. "You are Shisui, are you not?" Her gaze flicks over them again. "The three of you are from Blue Pegasus."

"Yes, I'm Shisui." He smiles at her pleasantly. "We've spoken once or twice in passing." He gestures towards Itachi. "You're correct. We're from Blue Pegasus. That's Itachi." Shisui smiles once more and gestures towards Sasuke. "And that's his brother, Sasuke. They're my cousins."

"I see." Her gaze finds Itachi, who she quickly determines to be Natsu's age, though likely far more mature than the dragon slayer, the two of them exchanging a simple nod, before deep brown eyes fall on the youngest of the trio. "You're quite young to be getting into a fight like this. You don't look much older than Wendy." She smiles softly at the boy, Sasuke. "You did very well, you should be proud. I saw most of your fight while I was searching for the wizard."

He'd heard the name Wendy before. She was a Sky Dragon Slayer or something of that nature. "Thanks." He smiles at her, not even bothering to argue about his age. He was far too interested in her Jutsus to care much about that. "How did you do that? With the light attack?" Well that and Sasuke wasn't blind. This had to be Erza. She was from Fairy Tail and wearing armor. From time to time, he heard some of his guildmates talking about other guilds, especially Fairy Tail. Something about a Queen of Fairies who, according to Hibiki and Bob, had a rather impressive wardrobe.

Yeah. She definitely looked like a Queen to him. There wasn't anything fairy-like about her though. This was a warrior, not a cute sprite. "Seems only fair that you take him. You did deliver the finishing blow and he wasn't our target." Probably a reference to her guild, he decides. Fairy Tail. So the Queen of the Fairies. Did that make her their Kage?

"Yes…and the Magic Council will want to see him." Erza's eyes briefly narrow at the unconscious man surrounded by debris, before turning back to the boy before her. "You should be careful about picking what jobs you take on. You're lucky you weren't here alone." She chuckles and ruffles his hair. "As for the attack, it is simply one of the powers given to me by my Morning Star Armor. I find it to be extremely effective in eliminating Dark Wizards."

He does his best not to sulk at that. "I could have managed." Sasuke couldn't wait to be at least Itachi's age. Maybe, then people would stop underestimating him. "I've never seen anything like that in Blue Pegasus. Your Morning Star Armor, I mean."

Erza chuckles at the sight of the sulking child. "Well, that would be because it is a magic unique to me. I call it The Knight. It allows me to requip into powerful wizarding armor. I have a whole collection of it."

Itachi nods at the explanation, having heard stories about her from Shisui. "Yes, I've heard of your kind of requip magic before. I've also heard that it's rather difficult to master."

"It is." But she had many years of practice wielding only this kind of magic. It was her specialty. "But as it is so special, I have poured many long hours of practice into mastering it."

"The Knight and requip magic." Sasuke nods, committing those things into his memory. "Is it a bloodline?" He could copy most forms of magic here, but apparently there were somethings his Sharingan couldn't copy. This world seemed to have its own bloodlines.

"A bloodline?" Erza frowns. "Well, I wouldn't know. Have never met another with the same kind of magic that I have, and my only family are those not related to me by blood."

Oh right. This world didn't seem to understand bloodlines in the way the Leaf had, Sasuke thinks to himself. "A bloodline just means a genetic ability where we come from. Magic passed on in families." Sasuke clarifies. "So it's not a bloodline then. In theory, anyone could do it...if they trained hard enough?" That did raise some interesting possibilities.

Goodness, this boy loved to ask questions. "Well, yes, in theory. However, there are many kinds of magic that are unique to a particular wizard, or the means to learn them no longer exist." Still, it warmed Erza's heart to see the boy so eager to learn. "But if you explore the various realms of magic and find something you're good at, practice it with all your might."

Shisui nods in acknowledgment. "Well it seems to have paid off." He smiles at her. "Forgive my rudeness, but I imagine you want to take him into custody and we have to turn them in as well and...there is the matter of the minor stab wound I have." While it was nowhere life-threatening at present, if it got infected things could become rather unpleasant.

"Of course." Erza nods, casting her eyes to the unconscious wizard. "I will collect that one and be on my way. Feel free to drop by Fairy Tail to see Wendy, she should be more than capable of healing your wounds." They weren't all that far from the guild, after all, and Erza knew that it was no small distance from here to Blue Pegasus.

"Yes, I think I may do that." Shisui didn't feel that his injuries required magical healing, but there was no harm in being cautious. "And you'll have to forgive Sasuke." The elder Uchiha smiles fondly at his cousin. "He's always been rather eager when it comes to learning new forms of magic."

"It's quite alright." Erza pats the boy on the head once more, the spiky locks coming up nearly to her nose. "Perhaps I will see you another time, then?"

Shisui nods again. "Yes, another time." He glances at Sasuke and Itachi. "We should probably get going in the interest of seeing Wendy about my injury more quickly and dealing with these thieves before they wake up." That would be rather annoying.

"Yes, we should." Itachi pats Sasuke on the shoulder. "The two of us will clean up here. You go on and have your injury tended to."

"Alright. Be careful though." He glances at the bandits. "They're not that impressive overall, but if you get enough insects together...a swarm can be rather annoying." With that being said, he quickly sprints off. Erza nods, collecting her bounty and hefting him over her shoulder, before following the Pegasus off.

Sasuke sighs as he helps Itachi with the cleanup. "How long do you think it will be before anyone sees me as anything other than this world's version of an Academy Student?" Even the Fairy Queen saw him that way.

Itachi ponders the question as the Queen of the Fairies disappears from sight with the dark wizard being dragged behind her. "I would guess another year or two. After that, I doubt you'll suffer under it." A small smirk quirks his lips. Was Sasuke hoping that Titania might see him differently?

"A year or two?" Sasuke mentally groans, but refrains from doing so out loud. "Well I guess that's not so bad." Uh oh. The younger Uchiha had seen that smirk and he was now afraid.

Very afraid. He trusted Itachi completely. Unless he started smirking that way. "Nevermind. We should focus on getting them into custody. It's just a bit annoying sometimes having everyone see me as a little kid." That was when Sasuke knew it was time to make a tactical retreat or he was going to get mindfucked.

"Of course." Itachi produces a length of wire to bind the hands and feet of the thieves. Though judging by the way his little brother's eyes rarely left the Fairy Queen, perhaps his general aversion, or perhaps immunity to females was not so…complete. Though she was certainly on the…older side, when compared to his little brother.

The tactical retreat had worked for now. Though Sasuke wasn't entirely sure how long such a tactic would work on Itachi. "There we go." He ties up some of the bandits. Though well maybe the mission would be enough to distract Itachi from meddling.

Itachi's smirk grows a little. His brother looked rather relieved that he'd dropped the topic. Interesting. It seemed as though Sasuke really did have a budding puppy crush. "Though one still has to wonder just what sorts of armors she has available to her. I've heard that she has quite…a variety."

He hated it, but Sasuke could feel a blush forming. "I imagine that she could make an armor made out of a potato sack look flattering. So could most of the girls in this world." It wasn't a full blown blush. More like a light dusting of pink on his cheeks, but he knew that Itachi would see it.

"Anyway, we should get going." It wasn't like he was stupid. She was beautiful, but he was twelve. She had patted his head like she thought he was a cute puppy or something! "We can have them back before nightfall, if we hurry." That didn't mean that he couldn't imagine her beauty or power though, but it wouldn't go anywhere. He was too young. Shisui would probably have better luck than he would or even Itachi.

Shisui flirted with almost every pretty woman that he saw. Which in this place meant he was constantly flirting, but he meant no harm. Everyone was charmed by him. Itachi in was also very popular with the women of the guild...though he was far less flirtatious than their cousin was. And then there was him. The baby of the family. No one took him seriously. Yet.

The elder Uchiha shakes his head as he drags a wagon that they had stashed nearby out of the bushes. After all, he had envisioned that they would need to cart the thieves back to the closest city for the Rune Knights to pick up. "Sasuke, there is nothing wrong with looking at a beautiful woman. It's perfectly normal for a boy your age to have an interest in such things." And judging by the blush, Sasuke definitely liked what he saw. "Just be careful not to fall for the wrong women, no matter how beautiful they might be."

"I don't know why you're telling me that." Sasuke shrugs in what he hoped was a casual manner. "Your advice would be more useful to Shisui." Alright. He might have looked, but he still wasn't stupid. He was at Genin or Chunin Level. That woman was at Kage Level. "What would my cousin's child be to me anyway? He knows the Jutsu right?" And while he was confident in his own abilities, he wasn't delusional. The age gap was just too vast.

"Yes, perhaps it would. I wouldn't want to be an uncle too soon. And I assume he knows to take precautions." Itachi didn't want to disrespect one of the people he respected most in the world, but facts were facts. Shisui fit in quite well with their flirtatious guild mates, but he was not careless. "It serves him well in our line of work."

Sasuke nods. "It does get him a lot of tips." He pauses and adds as an afterthought. "Jenny says I'll get lots of tips too, once Bob lets me be a host."

Itachi pauses as he tosses a couple of the thieves into the cart. "Is that what you want? To be a host?" It certainly paid well, Itachi would never deny that, but there was a certain…disposition needed to do it, and he wasn't sure that Sasuke would enjoy flirting with clients as much as Shisui did. "You could work your way up to harder, longer jobs. You don't have to be a host if you don't want to."

"I'd be with the two of you." The younger Uchiha tilts his head as if it was obvious. "It's not really something that comes naturally to me, but I've seen what you two do. I know how to host and obviously, I'm going to take harder jobs." He raises an eyebrow. "Which hopefully at some point, you won't try to stop me from going on."

"Sasuke…" Itachi shakes his head, poking Sasuke square in the forehead. "I just don't want you to try to take on more than you can handle. Enjoy being a child while you can." His little brother had the chance to do that here, whereas if he had graduated from the Academy, he would have been made to do things that no young child should be made to do. His childhood would have been short and violent, not what Itachi wanted for him. "Goof around, make mistakes, get crushes, play with other children your age. Enjoy your youth."

"I'm not like those people in town though and we both know that." This world was so different than the one he was born into. "I feel like...an imposter around them." He sighs. "And I am enjoying it, for the most part. My youth, I mean and you're only five years older than me!" Sasuke protests. "Don't act as though you're a grandfather."

Chuckling, Itachi ruffles his foolish little brother's hair. "I'm not nearly so old yet. I simply…have seen things that I hope you never will." Images that, on occasion, still haunted his dreams. "I know that you're eager to grow up, but you shouldn't be. Take your time, and learn everything you possibly can. Growth will come in time, and you're already so big, you have no need to rush."

Why did everyone do that?! "Fine, but can you please explain to me why everyone pats my head like I'm a dog? I'm not puppy!" It was becoming a central theme in his life. "So why does everyone mess with my hair?"

Oh, how was Itachi supposed to resist that? His brother was literally asking for it. "Well, that would be because no matter how big you're getting, you're small and cute and adorable. The ladies of the guild in particular love that about you." And it was even more adorable when he pouted. "You may not be a puppy, but you certainly resemble one. Well save for when you're angry. It is then that you more closely resemble a soaked kitten. But don't worry, I'm sure that no woman would hold it against you."

"Chidori!" Sasuke twitches. "I do not look like a kitten or a puppy!" Damn it! He was a ninja! Not some cute furry animal!

Deftly dodging the lightning attack, Itachi continues chuckling at the young ninja…wizard…well, it hardly mattered. Sasuke was a proud member of Blue Pegasus, so why was there a need to put a label on what they were. "Come now, Sasuke, there is nothing wrong with being an adorable child. I'm sure that you will make just as beautiful an adult as mother once you've grown. Just do be careful not to court a woman that would take offense to you outshining her own beauty."

He twitches again. "I'M NOT A WOMAN!" Not that there was anything wrong with being a woman, but still. "And I have the kuani to prove it!" Damn Itachi! That smirk was evil and somehow Sasuke fell into his traps every time.

It was hard to resist the urge to do as Shisui did and make a dirty joke. Impossible, really. So maybe indulging in it just once in a while wouldn't be so bad. "And I'm sure that there is a woman out there who will greatly appreciate your ability to throw a kunai. Though if you have any questions to ask, I would advise that you go to Hibiki or come to me, rather than our cousin." Because though Itachi knew well that Hibiki was a shameless playboy, he could also be a responsible teacher when the time called for it.

"..." Sasuke gapes at Itachi. "I know how to throw a kunai!" He was just not planning on doing so for awhile! "I can't believe you!" Besides, Ren had already explained THAT to him when he was ten.

Itachi's gaze sharpens. "Oh, and just WHO might I ask has educated you on the subject?" His Sharingan whirls dangerously at the thought of someone giving his little brother The Talk. Though in their guild, that could end up being just about anyone.

"I'd rather not say." Sasuke shakes his head. "You'll kill them. Don't worry, I know enough about kunai and pouches and I'm not planning on making you an uncle anytime soon."

"Good." Itachi wasn't nearly old enough to be a father, let alone an uncle. "I will still find out just who decided to educate you without my permission." And probably put them into a genjutsu for a week.

Sasuke just rolls his eyes at his brother's over-protectiveness. "Itachi, I'm not a little child anymore." He shrugs as he tries to soothe Itachi's irritation. "Besides, it's nothing the Academy wouldn't have taught me before graduation, anyway." Though the Academy probably wouldn't have offered such detailed visual aids.

"Well I suppose that's true." Though Itachi could understand why Sasuke would take an interest in such a beautiful, powerful woman. "However, the next time you are in need of a lesson, you can always come to me. I'm sure that it would be less…traumatizing that way."

"Maybe, but it'd also be awkward." It was one thing for Itachi to teach him how to throw kunai. "And you know it. Really, Ren did you a favor by giving me that talk." It was another thing entirely to discuss how to throw the other kind of kunai.

So it was Ren, and not Hibiki, then? "I'm surprised that you tolerated his presence long enough for him to explain things to you." Itachi was under the impression that the two still couldn't stand each other.

"He's a jerk, but he's less...hyper than Hibiki would have been about it." That and Sasuke knew that Ren wouldn't sugarcoat well anything. "It was more practical to listen to him. That way, I know that he doesn't know anything that I don't." Sasuke smiles smugly as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

Itachi shakes his head at Sasuke's answer. His brother's apparent appreciation for redheads aside, and Erza Scarlet was certainly quite the woman, it was rather improbable that a woman older than HE was would take an interest in his baby brother. After all, the age gap was just a little too wide. So all of this was a moot point.


	6. Chapter 6

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193'2 Author's Note:** Okay, since there was some interest in seeing Sasuke meet Fairy Tail, we thought it might be a good idea to include this chapter. It wasn't originally planned, but it does take a couple of requests into account, and it helps to lead up to the next chapter. Sasuke makes a new friend! And because this is Fairy Tail, it includes a healthy dose of…you guessed it, crack. Enjoy!

 **Silver's Author's Note:** As Celestia said, this is something of a bonus chapter and yes, it has a lot of silliness. Sasuke jumps to some cringe worthy conclusions about Dragon Slayers and tries to "protect" the Queen. I came up with the nickname "Snowgirls" to describe the Strauss Sisters, but it also refers to Yukino Agria (who I sometimes call SnowGirl 3). Anyway, happy reading. I just wanted to clear up any potential confusion.

Chapter 6

Itachi really wasn't sure if this was a good idea. Sure their guilds were allied, but he'd heard way too many things about Fairy Tail to be entirely comfortable just waltzing into their guild hall, unannounced. Though he did hear from Hibiki and Eve that Fairy Tail was totally fine with people just dropping in for a visit, so it's not as though they would be breaking any codes of courtesy or anything. And they were hardly the only ones here. Master Bob had come with them, and was already inside. The three of them were hesitating, and for good reason.

He had heard more than a few alarming tales about flying tables. And flying wizards. And lots of crashing. And Itachi was reluctant to let Sasuke get into the middle of that, no matter how exciting it might seem to visit the home of the strongest, strangest, and most destructive guild in the kingdom.

Tales that, judging by the sounds coming from inside the brightly adorned guild hall, were entirely accurate, no matter how outlandish they'd sounded. "Shisui, are you sure that this is a good idea?" He knew that Sasuke was more than a little excited, though certainly trying to hide it, but Itachi was still worried by what sounded like an all-out war going on inside the eccentric guild.

"Itachi, they might play a little rough, but we're an allied guild." Shisui's eyes dance with mischief. "So stop worrying so much." Honestly, at the rate Itachi was going, the elder Uchiha was tempted to find a pink apron for the man and to start calling him Mikoto. "Besides, Sasuke did well enough with the bandits. I'm sure he can handle dodging tables."

Sasuke nods at that. Of course, he wasn't going to give his brother a chance to talk him out of this. "Yeah! I'll be fine!" So he did what any 'smart' twelve year old would do. Sasuke Uchiha raced inside the guild before his brother could protest further.

Rolling his eyes and following quickly behind, Itachi steps through the front doors of the guild, only to hit the ground quickly as a chair went flying over his head. "Yes…of course you'll be fine." As he got up, he deftly dodged a mug of alcohol that was chucked haphazardly in his direction by no one in particular. "Was it like this the last time you visited, Shisui?"

Shisui shakes his head. "No. Last time I visited it was much more chaotic." He pauses as though unsure if he should go into details. "Elfman challenged Gray and Natsu about their masculinity. Fortunately, Erza and the Snowgirls managed to settle them down." Not before five tables and at least a dozen mugs were broken though.

Still, Itachi eyes the massive tangle of bodies and magical attacks warily. "And you escaped without injury?" It was rather impressive, actually, considering that the brawl before them easily looked as though it would result in at least a few broken bones. And perhaps a concussion or two.

"Well I've always been skilled at dodging and as I wasn't one of the combatants, it was easy enough to avoid the worst of it." He chuckles and looks at Itachi reassuringly. Silently telling him not to worry. "Besides, I'm sure they'll scale it back at least somewhat once they see Sasuke." Even Fairy Tail didn't want 'kids' to get caught up in a hurricane, right?

In the middle of the room, Natsu and Gray were in the middle of the mess, as usual. And most alarmingly, though not at all unexpected to the Fairies in the room, their magic was flying everywhere, fire and ice whirling around as they alternate between fighting each other, and shoving people out of their fight.

Sasuke blinks. Well Bob had said Fairy Tail had another fire user in its midst, a dragon slayer. Ice was new though. "This probably won't end well." How the guild ever managed to stay in one piece was utterly beyond him.

"Quit tryin' to burn the place down, ya Pyro!" Gray's clothes 'mysteriously' disappear as he slams an ice hammer down on Natsu's pink head.

"I wasn't gonna burn the place down, Ice Princess." An irritated glare crosses Natsu's face. "I was tryin' to eat when ya knocked over my food!" A burst of fire explodes around the dragon slayer's fists, tossing several of the other wizards onto their asses. "You started this, not me!"

"You're the one who knocked me over, Flame-Brain!" A ring of icy heat races through the room as Gray puts his hands together. "It's not my fault that you're a clumsy idiot!"

"Oh yeah!?" The icy heat is joined by burning heat, steam starting to fill the air as their disparate magics touched.

"This has got to be the most violent foreplay that I've ever seen." Sasuke blinks as he watches them. "Weird." He wisely decides to take a few steps back and stands behind Itachi.

Said Uchiha's eye twitches. "And just how much 'foreplay' have you seen?" It was one thing to see the flirting going on at Blue Pegasus, but since when had Sasuke seen, let alone thought to recognize THAT?

"..." Sasuke suddenly decides it was in his best interest to stand behind Shisui instead of Itachi.

The commotion and clash of magics continue, until the doors slam open once more, and a loud, commanding voice rings through the guild hall. "Natsu! Gray! Enough fighting! Take it outside!" And in walks the Queen of the Fairies, herself.

Natsu glances over, glaring at the Queen as well. "But HE started it!"

"No I didn't! I'm finishing it!" Gray punches Natsu in the gut, only to be elbowed in the head by the dragon slayer.

"I said ENOUGH!" She's behind them in a flash, grabbing them both by the ear and pulling them apart. "Can't you see that we have visitors?"

Shisui chuckles at the display. "Well there, see Itachi?" He smiles at him. Hoping to keep Sasuke out of trouble. "You were worried over nothing. The Queen has this under control."

"So it seems…" And thank goodness, Itachi wasn't far from doing something rather drastic if those two didn't settle down. "Her tactics seem to be rather effective."

Sasuke's eyes began to wander across the room, away from the ending scuffle, falling on his guild master sitting at the bar with an old man that he could only guess was Makarov, Fairy Tail's master, and an old friend of Bob's. That wasn't the problem, though. "Uh oh." Bob had found some cake. "Master Bob is eating Erza's cake." That wouldn't end well, Sasuke had heard things about Erza and her cake.

After dumping the two morons outside, Erza makes her way back to the bar, twitching when she sees that her cake is being eaten. "Ah…Master Bob…" She really didn't want to offend a guild master, especially not one that she had so much respect for, but…her cake…

"Erza!" Fortunately, Mira was there to prevent a disaster as she pulls out a whole strawberry cake and places it on the counter. "It's fresh, frosted it half an hour ago!"

The Fairy Queen's twitch disappears, a grateful smile on her face. "Thank you Mira." She sits at the bar, fork in hand, the cake slowly beginning to disappear.

"Well that's one disaster adverted." Sasuke smirks, impressed by Mira's foresight. "Gods and goddesses help anyone who comes between that woman and her cake."

Now that the brawling had ended and the crisis of the Fairy Queen had been averted, Sasuke decides it was safe to explore a bit. So he spots a rather feral-looking man with at least a couple dozen piercings sitting at one of the tables, Eating some kind of…shiny food? Food was shiny here? Weird. But maybe he would be able to answer his questions without starting a fight, he'd been one of the few to stay out of it earlier. "Hey." He had a lot of questions on his mind and now as as good a time as any to get some answers. "So..." And he wasn't above using the puppy eyes. "I've been hearing about these wizards called dragon slayers in Fairy Tail. What exactly are they?"

The darksome wizard glares at the kid who popped up right when he was perfectly happy and enjoying his iron scraps. "And just why do ya wanna know that, kid?"

That really was a lot of metal, but appearances could be deceiving. Maybe, he was just gruff on the outside. "Because apparently he is one?" His eyes glance over at Natsu. He was the one he'd heard about back at Blue Pegasus, the Fire Dragon Slayer. "Are they all like him?" So loud and...well to put it charitably, energetic.

Gajeel glares harder at the kid, snapping a piece of iron between his teeth and crunching it down. "You mean good at annoying the hell out of people like Salamander?" As if. "No."

Sasuke's eyes widen. "You're eating iron!" He knew that this world was different than the one he had been born into, but people were not supposed to eat iron! How the hell did the man not break every single one of his teeth?! "But...yeah, I guess you could say that." And apparently, could iron as easy as a normal person could eat a cracker?!

Gajeel crunches down the last of the iron, rolling his eyes. "O'course I eat iron. I'm the Iron Dragon Slayer." Jeez, what was with this kid? "And no, we're not all like that moron."

"...How many dragon slayers are there?" Sasuke blinks as he processes that. "If you're the Iron Dragon Slayer and you eat iron than that means..." The idiot ate fire. "Natsu eats fire?" Damn and here he thought Itachi had strange tastes in food. These two made his brother's cabbage obsession seem almost normal.

Black Steel rolls his eyes. "O'course the moron eats fire. What'd you expect him to eat? Water? Ice?" Yeah right, not in this lifetime, well, not unless those two finally quit with the damn foreplay already. "And three, there's three of us here." His eyes fall on the little girl about the same age as this brat, accompanied by her little white cat. "If you're here to make a friend, go annoy Wendy."

He tilts his head in confusion. "You want me to go hang out with your daughter?" That was weird. He had seen the looks that Iron Mouth gave the bookish blue haired woman. If Wendy was also a dragon slayer, that might be genetic. She was probably their kid. "Um sure. I guess." He shrugs as he gets up and turns to head towards Wendy. It was hard to gauge the man's age. He might have been eighteen or thirty-eight. Those piercings and that hair were really fucking with Sasuke's ability to judge his age.

Gajeel's crimson eyes flash angrily. "I'm not an old man, ya damn brat! Do I LOOK old enough to have a twelve year-old kid!?" He was only twenty, for crying out loud!

"Well...it's kinda hard to tell." Sasuke cocks his head to the side considering it. "You have one of those faces where you could be twenty or forty…" That and his hair, but Sasuke wasn't going to get into that. He was from Blue Pegasus, God knows Iron Mouth wasn't the only man to spend way too much money on shampoo and conditioner!

"I'm TWENTY, not FORTY!" Even if that damn barrier seemed to think that Gajeel was over eighty. Which he was not! "And who the hell would I ever have a kid with!?"

"Well you're a Dragon Slayer." Sasuke nods knowledgeably. "Wendy is a Dragon Slayer with blue hair and there's a blue haired woman here." He gestures subtly towards a petite bluenette. "So I figured she was yours and hers."

The Iron Dragon Slayer raises an incredulous eyebrow. "The Shrimp?" Even if they did, the kid definitely wouldn't be twelve. "Kid, you really need yer eyes is no way that I'd have a kid as old as Wendy with the Shrimp."

Shisui chuckles as he strides over to prevent a bloodbath. "He has 20/20 vision and I can see his point, but I do apologize if my cousin offended you." He smiles at the Iron Dragon Slayer. "He's twelve and well you wouldn't believe half the things that come out of the mouths of children his age."

"Hmph." Gajeel shakes his head, pulling another piece of thick iron out of a bag next to him. "If you wanna talk to a dragon slayer you won't piss off, go find Wendy. She'll probably play with you."

"That and I imagine she'll be quite the heart-breaker in a few years." Shisui laughs as he nudges Sasuke away from Gajeel. The younger Uchiha didn't look too pleased at the use of the word play or kid, but he sulks off towards the blue haired girl anyway. "Sorry about that."

Gajeel watches the kid approach Wendy, and he shrugs. "Not as bad as dealing with Salamander every day." Well, every day that he wasn't on a job. That pink-haired moron sometimes felt like the utter bane of his existence.

Shisui watches Sasuke like a hawk as he converses with Gajeel. "Well I'm sure that he can't be that bad. Perhaps it's just a clash of personalities." He offers.

"I wanna to knock his head off every other hour." The dragon slayer shoots the newcomer a blank look. "But don't worry, I won't touch the kid." Not since it looked like Wendy was taking a bit of a liking to him, even going so far as to introduce her cat to him.

"Ah I see. Well that's good to hear." He shakes his head as he watches Cana try to challenge Itachi to some sort of drinking contest. "Because Itachi is very protective of his little brother." One might even argue obsessively so.

"Yeah, but I think he might be a bit preoccupied." It looked to Gajeel like Itachi, the third newcomer, by default, was wiser than that, because he seemed to be declining the challenge. As well as a date with Mira. Weird. She was only three years older than him, what was the issue? Whatever. "You here to interrogate me?"

"I don't interrogate allies." He smiles at him. "Mostly, I came over to ensure another scuffle didn't break out." Scuffle was putting it rather charitably, but still they were guests here. It was best to be diplomatic.

* * *

While Shisui was trying his best to be friendly, Sasuke was doing the same. "Hello, Carla." He smiles as he reaches out the pet the pretty white furred cat that Wendy had just introduced him to.

"And just where do you think you're putting your hand, child!?" Carla glares at the boy as she reaches for her teacup. "I am not a pet!"

"On your chin...most cats like that." He blinks at the response. "Even ninja cats." Which is what he had thought Carla was. A ninja cat with wings. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. Your fur just looks so soft."

"Carla…" Wendy smiles sweetly. "He didn't mean it. He's just never met someone like you is all." Her partner could be rather…aloof and proper at times, but she was a sweetie, deep down. "Sorry, she doesn't like anyone touching her fur." Her smiles becomes apologetic as she turns it on Sasuke. "So you were running away from Gajeel, right? I promise that he's not as scary as he looks."

"I wasn't running away." Sasuke shakes his head and puffs up. He had his pride after all. "I just figured out he wasn't exactly the most talkative person and decided to seek out more pleasant company." It was something Hibiki might say and well people seemed to like that sort of thing, especially girls for some reason. Hopefully, Wendy wasn't a giggler though.

"Oh." Wendy blinks, before smiling brightly. "Okay. So what were you two talking about?"

"His age and strange eating habits mostly." The grump actually ate iron, no wonder he was such a hardass. " Though I asked him about dragon slayers."

"You did?" Wendy's cheeks turn a little pink. "Uh…well…I'm not really all that experienced yet, but I'm a dragon slayer too!" She draws her fists in close to her chest, chocolate eyes shining with determination. "I'm training hard so that I can be as strong as Natsu someday."

"Shouldn't be too hard." He glances at Natsu. "He spends most of his time fighting with Gray. I doubt he gets in much training." The youngest Uchiha nods his head confidently at that assessment. "So I imagine you'll be stronger than him and the Iron Mouth eventually." After all, he didn't seem to do much other than glare at people.

Wendy wasn't so sure about that. "Well, he got more time to train with his dragon than I did with Grandina. And he beat Master Zero only a short while ago. And I heard about his fights with demons and dark wizards…he's…so strong." And she really looked up to him. "He's strong and brave, and he never gives up. And…I really admire that."

Oh boy. Natsu was this girl's Itachi. "I thought...people were joking about dragons being real." apparently, they weren't. "Well it's not always the quantity, but the quality. I mean Itachi is really gifted at everything, but cooking. He used to be able to make really fancy stuff." He didn't know why he was telling her any of this. "But now, the only thing he can make decently are eggs, after like a hundred tries." He wasn't exaggerating.

Sasuke suspected he was telling her this because whatever a Dragon Slayer was, it was clear that Wendy was different. So in that way they were the same. That and she was the only one here who didn't seem to view him as a kid. His dark eyes scan the room for Erza. He wished that the feisty red head viewed him as an adult too.

"Wow…" Wendy giggles at the thought of Grandina cooking her something fancy. "Mom always made simple stuff. It's hard for a dragon to make human food,but she always used to catch me wild boars and duck, and she taught me how to collect berries and things."

"..." Sasuke blinks. "Your mother was an actual dragon?" She looked...so human though and how was such a thing possible. Suddenly, the youngest Uchiha was rather traumatized by some utterly bizarre images. "Well um never mind. I'm sure she did her best." Scales or not...Wendy seemed to hold this dragon in high regard.

"Uh-huh, she was. She raised me since before I can remember." And Wendy missed her so much. "She…disappeared when I was little, but I remember her so clearly. She had giant white wings, and her feathers were so soft, even the ones on the end of her tail. I would sleep in her tail every night…and every day, she'd teach me support and healing magic."

It was probably best not to dwell on how it was possible for a dragon to have a human child, he decides. "Well that's good. She sounds nice." No reason to alienate the only 'normal' Dragon Slayer.

* * *

A few minutes later, Shisui shakes his head at Itachi. "There. See?" He gestures to the preteens. "There was no reason to be so nervous about taking Sasuke to Fairy Tail."

"Yes, so it seems." Well, after you got past the flying chairs, flying tables, and very volatile dragon slayer and ice wizard. But Itachi wasn't so worried about Sasuke hanging out with the youngest member of the guild. It was good to see him finally socializing with someone his own age. "The two of them do look rather comfortable with each other."

"Mhm." Shisui nods and chuckles at where Itachi's thoughts were going. "It's cute, but I think it's more a friendly conversation than an example of Puppy Love." That and Shisui suspected Sasuke might prefer redheads.

"That seems to be the case." Though Itachi knew that it would be much easier if Sasuke's attention were more directed towards Wendy, than Erza. The Fairy Queen was a grown woman, and Sasuke…well, he was certainly closer to Wendy's age, than Erza's. That kind of gap would be difficult to overlook. "But at the very least, it seems that he has certain tastes in what girls he chooses to socialize with." Wendy did seem on the quieter, albeit more focused side, a caring and compassionate healer. And seemingly very advanced for her age, seeing as Shisui came back after their job without a scratch on him.

He chuckles and shakes his head. "I think he just tries to find the ones that don't giggle." Shisui didn't understand Sasuke's aversion to the sound. He thought it was cute personally.

"Or perhaps the ones who giggle less loudly, and less shrilly?" Because Wendy struck him as a girl who would giggle in an innocent fashion. Itachi was fairly sure that she was simply a happy person. "She might end up helping him to cure his aversion to giggling."

"Bad Itachi." He could see where this was going. "Don't even think about it." If Sasuke found out his brother was trying to play matchmaker, he'd probably avoid the poor girl like the Plague. "You'll just embarrass them both."

Itachi holds up his hands in surrender. "I was not seriously considering it. Besides, he seems to prefer redheads, in any case." The last thing he needed was his cousin on his case. Plus, he was way too young to be an uncle. Sasuke likely wouldn't even have his first girlfriend until he was at least fourteen.

"You weren't SERIOUSLY considering it, but you were considering it." Shisui shakes his head. Honestly, what was he going to do with Itachi. "As for the red head thing, don't say anything to him about that. We don't have any proof and well, we've all had an infatuation for an older woman at least once in our lives." Personally, his first crush had been on Kurenai. It was harmless.

That was true. Though, speaking of crushes on older women… Itachi nudges Shisui as he glances back towards the bar. "It seems like the Queen is on the move." She'd finished gobbling down her cake, and was heading for…Sasuke and Wendy?

"Oh boy." Hopefully, Erza wasn't deciding to play matchmaker, Shisui thinks to himself. "I do pray this isn't going where I believe it is." That would prove disastrous for Sasuke's pride.

* * *

Itachi could only hope so as well as Erza approached the two children, smiling at them both. "Hello you two. I'm glad to see that Wendy has made a new friend."

Wendy's sweet smile returns in an instant. "Yeah, Sasuke's really nice to talk to." And there weren't really any other wizards her age, so she liked having someone else around who was as small as she was.

"Hey, Erza." Sasuke smiles at her as he shoots Wendy a subtle smile of acknowledgment. He didn't want her to feel like she was being ignored. "Sorry about Master Bob trying to steal your cake."

"It's quite alright, and it's not your fault, therefore you have nothing to apologize for." Erza had gotten plenty of cake, and that's what mattered. "Are you enjoying yourself here at Fairy Tail?"

"Yeah." Sasuke smiles. He'd just ignore the fact that he'd set off Iron Mouth. Wendy was nice and more importantly, Erza was here now. "Is it only the men of Fairy Tail that are kinda crazy?" He was beginning to notice a pattern actually...

Erza chuckles at the observation. "Well, in truth, we might all be somewhat eccentric. Try not too let it bother you, there's just a lot of different kinds of people here."

"At our guild, most people share similar eccentricities. Here it's..." He pauses searching for the right word. "Very diverse."

"That is because we are a very diverse family." She pats his head softly. "Don't judge them too harshly for it, there are many here whose hurts run very deep."

"It's alright. I'm used to diversity from the Leaf." He glances at Wendy. "Gajeel is upset with me because I thought he was your father." Now, he knew why Iron Mouth got so angry with him. If Wendy's mother was a dragon, that would have meant that Iron Mouth...bad images! Bad images! He was going to be sick.

"My father?" Wendy tilts her head, considering the notion. "Well, he's not old enough to be one of my birth parents. Though I wouldn't know…I don't have any memory of them. Just…Grandina."

And whoever was brave enough to marry a dragon, Sasuke thinks to himself. Which probably explained why she didn't know her father. "Yeah. He made that rather clear." Why were Itachi and Shisui staring at them so much? Hmpf.

Knowing that the boy wouldn't understand the details behind the dragons, Erza clarifies for him. "Yes…Natsu, Gajeel,and Wendy were raised by their dragon foster parents as children, and it seems that their dragons disappeared long ago." Patting the girl's shoulder, she smiles. "But you have a family again, Wendy, remember that."

"Yeah, I know." Wendy still hoped that Grandina would return, but for now, she had her Fairy Tail family, that's what mattered.

"Ohhh...that makes sense." She was adopted. That explained a lot. "I assume the dragons talk like Carla and Happy?" Because if you have talking, flying cats...obviously, talking dragons were the next 'logical' step.

"Of course they can talk." The very thought of a mute dragon was foreign to Wendy. "They're much more intelligent than humans, and a lot older too. That's why they taught us magic."

Now, the dragons had magic. "Ah I see." What was he really supposed to say to that? Talking, magical dragons that in theory were even smarter than humans. (Granted sometimes that was a very low bar depending on the individual, but still).

Not that he got the chance to say anything to that, as a low, rich, and somewhat annoying voice floats through the air. "Erza, My Sweet Honey!" A voice that sent a chill up and down Erza's spine.

Sasuke twitches. Alright. MY SWEET HONEY?! "He wants to see my Chidori." He mutters under his breath as he watches the short man come racing into the room.

Wendy blinks. "Your what?" She didn't understand how Ichiya deserved…whatever it was that Sasuke was talking about. But she was pretty sure he was here to try and woo Erza again. "What's wrong?"

"Everything…" Erza groans quietly, before forcing a smile to her face, and turning towards the short, ginger-haired man bounding into the guild hall.

"Unbelievable!" He might have been twelve, but he was still at least twice as tall as Ichiya. "What the hell is he thinking?" Sasuke had absolutely no idea how Erza would be able to kiss the man, if she even wanted to. She'd probably throw out her back when she was leaning down and damn it, this just was not right.

Erza retains the forced smile as Ichiya approaches. "Ichiya…it's good to see you."

"Yes, it is marvelous to see you, Miss Scarlet." He poses, sparkles emanating from his entire body. "It has been too long…" He races to her in an instant, sniffing her hair. "Since I last smelt your wondrous parfum."

Sasuke was severely tempted to start throwing some Chidoris at the little man. "Ichiya, Miss Scarlet was just telling me that we ran out of champagne. Perhaps you would be kind enough to grab her another glass?" It was a lie, but whatever. "It should be with Mirajane, or in the kitchen. She really likes the bubbles." That might or might not be a lie, but again whatever. Whatever it took to keep from strangling his guild mate, he'd do.

"Ah! Of course!" He reaches out to kiss her armored fingers. "I will return as soon as I have your champagne Miss Scarlet." A split second later, he's dashing off towards the bar, leaving behind a both disgusted, and thoroughly relieved Erza.

She shivers as she looks at her hand, wiping the silver pieces off on her skirt. "That was…not pleasant…" Not that it ever was, but she was usually too polite to hit him for it. Some times, though…well, she just couldn't control herself. "Thank you, Sasuke." She shoots him a small smile. "Your efforts are very much appreciated."

"You're welcome, though we might want to slip off now." Like right now. "He's a lot faster than he looks."

"Yes, I'm aware of that." Painfully aware, seeing as the number of times he's snuck up on her disturbs her to this day. "Outside the guild would likely be best." After all, he almost seemed to have the nose of a dragon slayer, being able to pick out her scent the way that he did.

"He said something about a perfume. You might want to change it." Sasuke smiles at her. "Yeah. Outside would probably be better." He glances at Wendy. "You want to help us dodge him?"

Wendy nods eagerly. "I'll stay here and distract him, you two get out of here." She could handle distracting one little man long enough for the two of them to get out of the guild hall. She knew it!

Erza nods. "Thank you, Wendy." And with no hesitation whatsoever, she makes a break for the door, disappearing as quickly as she could.

Sasuke mouths a quick thank you at the bluenette as he races off with Erza. "That was a close one, but I think we made it." Maybe. His guild mate could be rather persistent.

Erza eyes the boy next to her curiously. "You're quite fast." Not quite Jet fast, but considering his age…he could very well get right up there with time and practice. "Come, I know a place where he should not find us so easily." At least, hopefully. "The man has a nose like a bloodhound…"

"Yeah. I like to think so." Sasuke smiles at her as he follows Erza. "That I'm fast. I did well in Taijutsu at the Academy." Not that she would have clue what he was talking about, but he'd worry about that later. The important was that in some small way, she had acknowledged his skills and they had escaped from the dwarf.

"I see, that's good that you excelled." She smiles as she leads him off towards the lake, and down a steep embankment that would hide them effectively for a while. "And I'm sorry that you were dragged into this. Ichiya can be very…persistent. Though I still can't quite figure out how it is that he keeps finding me."

Sasuke didn't get it either. "Well he said it was the scent of your perfume." Though the vibrant red hair probably stood out as well. That was an easy tell.

Shaking her head, Erza chuckles. "Except that I don't wear perfume. It irritates Natsu's nose while we're out on jobs, so Lucy and I stopped wearing it." He'd complained that it made them harder to find, because it masked their actual scents, and made his nose itch. He even sneezed a few times, just to prove his point.

"Maybe, it's the cake then." He nods at her. "Then again, who knows? He can be…eccentric at times."

"Yes, that is certainly true. Though I suppose that you see more of it, being in the same guild as he is." Erza couldn't imagine having to deal with flirty men day in and day out. It would drive her to her wits end, and then off the cliff. "Though…you strike me as less…frivolous than most of your guild." She didn't like making it sound so negative, but it truly was very annoying.

Sasuke smiles at her. "Shisui would say that frivolous is mistakenly given a negative connotation, and that it can be a good thing from time to time." He pauses an adds. "Though that's usually after that line he tries to make out with whoever he said that to and Itachi gazes at him rather disapprovingly. Bob well Bob just laughs." Damn. He should probably have quit while he was ahead. "But thank you since you meant that as a compliment."

Laughing once more, Erza places her hand on Sasuke's head and ruffles his hair. "Good. Then I hope to see you grow up to be a powerful young wizard."

"And I hope that you stop seeing me as a puppy one day." The words left his mouth before he even realized it. Damn it!

Blinking in surprise, Erza removes her hand from his head and gives him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. You're right. You may still be young, but you are a wizard in your own right." He was not a child to be coddled. "Then perhaps, one day, I might test your skills myself, once you've grown, developed your own style, and gained experience."

"I'd like that. You should probably show me some of your armors." Sasuke tilts his head to the side. "He's going to find us eventually and ask why we left. It's a good excuse." Everyone saw him as a child. He couldn't blame Erza for it. It was just a product of being the youngest Uchiha and member of Blue Pegasus. "You can say that I wanted to see requip magic since no one in our guild has it."

"Yes…I suppose that you're right." And it would do her good to burn off some energy. "Very well." Her body glows as her clothes and armor disappear. "The we'll start with the basics, shall we? You use fire attacks, correct?" The glow brightens, engulfing her form completely. "Then I think you will appreciate this flame-resistant armor.

When the glow diminishes, her form is revealed in rather revealing red, orange, and black armor. With claw-like boots and gauntlets, and wings spreading from the back of her breastplate, Erza brandishes a scarlet sword to match her hair, the blade itself flickering with fire. "This is my Flame Empress Armor."

Sasuke blinks and nods dumbly. "Yes, I do and it's very...dramatic." And it would also have his guild mate panting after her like a starving dog chasing a bone.

"Yes, I think so." Now, for its opposite. Her body glows once more, the glow fading to reveal a green armor, opened in the front, but with large waistguards, a free-flowing skirt behind her, and a pair of fins sprouting from her helmet and the pauldrons on her shoulders. It was paired with a finned, green and blue blade. "This is my Sea Empress Armor."

"I think I actually like this one better, even if fire is my primary chakra nature." Sasuke blinks as he tries not to stare.

"Oh, so you like this one better?" Then what should she show him next? Perhaps… "How about my Infinity Robe?" Glowing yet again, her armor changes out for a purple, white,and pink garment with a swooping neckline, a cloth waistguard and half skirt, and thigh-high stockings. "It is also called the Robe of Yuen."

"I like it." And this was probably the first one that Itachi probably wouldn't protest him looking at. "It's very...elegant." And feminine. And Sasuke hadn't known legs could be that long.

"Yes, I think so too." Erza smiles, the glow returning. "However, when my guild is in trouble, and defensive measures are required, I turn to this, my Adamantine Armor." And in place of the robe appeared a suit of full-body armor. She was dressed like a knight, even the shield on her arms done in blue and white. "It is my strongest defensive armor."

"It does look strong." Sasuke nods. He liked the other ones better though. "Inspired by the dragons probably?"

"Perhaps." Her powerful suit of armor disappears, leaving her once again in her casual skirt, blouse, and breastplate. "After all, there is reputedly nothing stronger than a dragon's hide."

"Probably should have left that one on." Sasuke sighs as he stands between Erza and a flying ginger blur. "She was just showing me her armors. Relax." He had found them.

"Perhaps…" Though she worried that it wouldn't really do much good in a situation like this.

"Ah, very good, young man!" Ichiya flashes Sasuke a dazzling grin as he comes to a halt. "Study hard and learn well from Miss Erza. She is graceful and wise beyond her years." He blows her a kiss, which she subtly dodges. "My Sweet Honey!"

Well that was a fail. Itachi or Shisui probably would know how to handle this better than him. "Yeah. I'm learning a lot from her." Like impulse control. If he called her honey one more time, it was going to be a Chidori below the belt for him.

"Very good!" He sinks a little into a pointing pose. "However,it is time to go! Hibiki has arrived with Christina, and it saddens me to say that we must part from Miss Erza… Men."

Extremely quietly, Erza breathes a sigh of relief. "I see, then we shall see you again soon, Ichiya." But hopefully not TOO soon.

"Right." Sasuke shakes his head as he looks at Erza. "I'll see you around sometime and be sure to give my thanks to Wendy." She had provided a distraction, but this man was just relentless.

"I will." She smiles at the boy before her, proud to be inspiring the next generation of wizards. "Goodbye, Sasuke."

He nods as he heads off with the dwarf who still had the audacity to call Erza his Honey! "Goodbye, Erza." Damn. If only he had been born just a few years earlier...oh well. At least he got to see some of her armors. That and he had kept Ichiya from doing anything too crazy. So all in an all it was a good day.

* * *

And they would continue to have good days, good visits. …Until the day tragedy struck.

December 16th, X784…Acnologia destroys Tenrou Island.


	7. Chapter 7

Who Needs A Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Okay, time-skip time. The Fairy Tail fans will know exactly what this means (and probably how bad Mashima's math tends to be because he likes his sevens too much, but whatever). Also, if you're wondering about a villain/antagonist/threat, the Fairy Tail fans will know what's coming, seeing as we're kicking off the best two arcs in the entire series. For your other clue, read the story description again.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** For some reason, whenever I do a Fairy Tail Crossover, the fluff/sensual silliness takes over. There is some brotherly bonding later on in this chapter and it's partially Sorcerer Weekly's fault. It may or may not be IC depending on your interpretation, but it should be funny. Happy reading.

Chapter 7

A long day. It had been another one of those long days before Itachi returned home from the guild. He had been helping Hibiki, again, alternating between hosting, and doing mathematical calculations in conjunction with Hibiki's Archive. The Archive wizard was almost obsessively taking readings on the ethernano, the magical particles in the air, all across the sea south of Fiore. It was where 'the incident' had happened. The incident that he as always very careful not to mention in front of Sasuke.

 _He'd felt the tremors of the day before, not thinking much of it since they were negligible, to say the least. There were tremors often enough, mostly the product of overzealous wizards nearby, meaning…when in doubt, Fairy Tail._

 _Of course, that begged the question as to who, since Itachi had heard through the grapevine that Fairy Tail was holding it's S-Class exams out on a secret island, far off the coast of Hargeon. Was it them? Could the tremors have actually traveled that far? Well, he was certain that Shisui and Hibiki would bring back information on whatever it was that caused it when they got back from their flight on the newly upgraded Christina. They were testing out new magical thrusters for increased speed._

 _And while their cousin was gone, Itachi and Sasuke had been out on a job to clear some vulcans out of the nearby mountains, only half a day's journey away by foot, at least for them. The monsters themselves had been little trouble, the incident with the thieves teaching them both a few things, though Sasuke more than Itachi._

 _That, and demon monkeys made great target practice for new variations on Sasuke's fireballs and Chidori. Itachi was so proud of his foolish little brother. "Shisui should be returning soon. Would you prefer to wait for him to go on another job? Or perhaps start training again right now?" They were taking a break inside the guild, sitting at the bar across from Master Bob._

 _"We can just wait here." While training was always good, he didn't want to 'waste' his magic on it if they were going to go out on a mission immediately. "He said that he'd be back today." The type of mission (or job, as wizards called it) that Shisui had taken would be easy for his cousin. Sasuke couldn't imagine they'd have to wait very long. "And he's usually right about that sort of thing."_

 _"Indeed he is." And it was something that Itachi was grateful for. Handling a rambunctious and independent preteen was not an easy job to do on his own. On the bright side, at least Sasuke had only ever snuck off with a job twice. And neither were very dangerous. But still, Itachi preferred to have Sasuke within sight of him or Shisui, if at all possible. "Did you find any jobs on the board that you liked?"_

 _"There were a couple that look interesting." Sasuke tilts his head as if considering it. "There was one in particular that is worth quite a bit, but you'll probably say that it's too dangerous." Which is normally what Itachi said anytime Sasuke chose something closer to the million jewel mark than the half a million mark._

 _But the doors of the guild open, and Shisui sighs as he slowly trudges inside. He didn't want to deliver this news, but he had to. Someone had to. It was just...well too cruel really._

 _"Shisui, what's wrong?" Sasuke blinked at his cousin. "Are you alright?" He'd rarely seen Shisui look so crestfallen except for after he found out the truth about their Clan._

 _The eldest Uchiha bites his lower lip as he sits down. "It's about Fairy Tail." And suddenly Sasuke's heart sunk. "They were on the island, doing their S Class exam...they've gone missing." No…not again!_

 _Itachi's eyes widen, but he clenches his fists to try and ease his worry. "Alright…but the last time that they went missing, it turned out that they'd been sucked into another dimension, into Edolas." It seemed as though inter-dimensional travel was something that happened frequently with this world. And it's not as though Fairy Tail had never disappeared on them before. They were gone less than a week last time._

 _The eldest Uchiha shakes his head, knowing the questions swirling around in Itachi's mind. "It's different this time, they…" How the hell was he supposed to explain what they'd gotten out of the Magic Council? It was unbelievable! "Tenrou Island was the site of their yearly S-Class exam, and the Magic Council was there to try and dig up dirt on Fairy Tail, to find a way to force them to disband." Their vendetta was getting annoying, to say the least._

 _That wasn't the problem though, the Magic Council was harmless, compared to everything else. "According to Marshal Lahar, the Dark Guild, Grimoire Heart, attacked the Island, searching for the Black Wizard Zeref, who also happened to be on the island. No one knows what became of either Grimoire Heart or Zeref, but it's presumed that they were wiped out while fighting Fairy Tail when…" Shisui swallows thickly. "When the dragon known as Acnologia attacked the island. There was…nothing left when we tried to get close, and the magic particles in the air didn't let us get within fifty miles of where the island used to be. The concentration was…lethal."_

 _"They got out though, right?" Sasuke's eyes widened. "They got out before the dragon attacked?" If they hadn't, that meant they were dead! That couldn't be true!_

 _Itachi could see where this was going, and he didn't like it at all. If Fairy Tail hadn't gotten out, then it likely meant…well, he didn't particularly want to think about it_

 _Shisui shakes his head. "We don't know. There's a chance, the Magic Council got out, and they wouldn't have stuck around after the dragon showed up, so maybe Fairy Tail escaped before it was destroyed." But there was also a much larger chance that they didn't, because knowing Fairy Tail, they would have tried to fight it instead of fleeing. "Hibiki is working on contacting the rest of Fairy Tail, and their friends and allies across the kingdom. We're going to be putting together search parties. If they're alive, we'll find them. But…"_

 _"But there's still every chance that they might not have made it out in time." Itachi closes his eyes, his heart sinking past his stomach._

 _Sasuke slams his fist into the table, breaking it in half. "Not again!" This couldn't be happening again! "First our Clan and now them?!" He still clung to the hope that their Clan might still find them. Maybe time just functioned differently._

 _They might have only been gone for a few minutes in their world, but that wound had largely healed. "I'll go on the search party." Though he knew the truth. They had died. Fairy Tail hadn't made it out. The Council would have found them._

 _"When do the search parties leave?" It was only a matter of time before the same fate would befall Blue Pegasus, Shisui, and even Itachi. "The least we can do is find them." Whatever was left of them, anyway, because Sasuke had figured out the pattern. Everyone he cared about eventually either went missing or died._

 _Shisui looks at his younger cousin with remorse in his eyes, his heart aching for the boy. "In a few hours. We're picking up a small team from Lamia Scale on the way out." Lyon Vastia, in particular, was adamant about going and trying to find his lost friend, Gray. He was among the S-Class candidates who were being tested by their current S-Class._

 _He would have said that was too long, but it didn't really matter. A corpse was still a corpse whether it was found immediately or the next day. "Good. Then that's when we'll go." He ignored the fact that his hand was now bruised from the table. If he showed any sign of losing it, Sasuke knew his family would try to keep him from going with the search party and there was no way he was going to allow that to happen. At the very least, the members of Fairy Tail deserved a proper burial._

 _But they wouldn't find Fairy Tail on this trip. Or the next. Or the next. Or the next…_

Ever since they had first met the Fairy Queen, Itachi had caught Sasuke delving into old issues of Sorcerer Weekly, searching for any picture he could find or Erza Scarlet, every interview, every article. And as the days had passed, and the searches continued to turn up nothing, it became clear, at least to Itachi's eyes, that his brother had fallen hard for the missing Fairy Queen.

Winter was only just beginning, and today of all days, there had been too somber a mood in the guild hall for Itachi to stay. How Shisui could bear to work today, he wasn't sure, but Sasuke had holed himself up at home today, to be seen by no one. Not that Itachi could blame him. Today was the anniversary of the disappearance, the presumed deaths, of Fairy Tail's mot powerful wizards. Including the S-Class wizard known as Erza 'Titania' Scarlet, Queen of the Fairies. Six years, and now, into the seventh year of their absence.

Not that all hope had been lost. In fact, Hibiki was convinced that they were still out there somewhere, spending his time between shifts and jobs monitoring the ethernano for any changes, especially around the place where the rambunctious guild's sacred island once stood. Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale continued the search, despite everyone else giving up on the old guild. Lyon Vastia of Lamia Scale was one such wizard, who often had the habit of walking right into the guild to talk to Hibiki about when the next search party would go out. Apparently, a childhood friend of his had been among the group, and he was determined to make sure that his friend survived.

The three of them had gone, at Sasuke's insistence, though it wasn't really necessary, as everyone in the guild had their turn. But none of the searches they ever participated in turned up anything, anything at all. And eventually, even Sasuke's steadfast determination had faded. And that was not something that Itachi had enjoyed watching.

Sighing, Itachi pushes open the door to their house and steps into a beautiful, two story building that had taken them until Sasuke's fifteenth birthday to save up for, even with several rather large missions under their belts. "I'm home!" But as usual, on this day, there was no answer.

That could mean one of two things, and as he couldn't hear the sounds of his brother blowing anything up in the backyard, where they'd created something of a small training arena, that meant that he was upstairs. Which likely meant that he was writing, again. He did that a lot these days, but especially on the anniversary.

So, Itachi slowly, silently climbs the stairs, finding himself in front of Sasuke's room, like he had so many times before. And faintly, he could hear the sounds of a pen against paper. Indeed, Sasuke was at it again as Itachi opened the door. "I had a feeling that I would find you here. You're writing, aren't you? You're dwelling again…"

Sasuke sighs as he continues writing. He seemed to be doing a lot of that these days. The entire guild had grown somber at the anniversary and well, Sasuke didn't feel like joining in on the 'mourning'. He could do that privately.

"At least this way they'll have a record, if they ever do come back." The young wizard didn't know if he was referring more to his clan or the Fairy Tail wizards who had gone missing years ago. "That's something at least."

Ever since Shisui had arrived back at the guild to bring them the news, Sasuke had kept well a record, he supposed. He didn't know what to call it. He'd never call it a Diary and a Journal sounded so...cold. Well whatever one wanted to call it, Sasuke often wrote in it. Sometimes he added actual pictures or drawings he had done himself.

He might have only mediocre artistic skills, but he still found himself drawing Erza more often than he should have. "It wasn't fair." What had happened to his clan and to Fairy Tail wasn't fair. He supposed that the easiest explanation for his fixation was the not knowing.

"It'd be easier, if we knew." Sasuke sighs. Not knowing was the worst part. "It's bad enough that it happened to our family. Now, we don't know if our clan or our friends are alive or dead." It would be painful, if they were dead. Though Sasuke would rather know. Anything was better than this state of uncertainty.

Most days, he was able to ignore it for the most part. He poured himself into his jobs or his studies. This world was so different than he had been born into and in some ways, it was similar. Sasuke liked learning about new magics, but he would have liked knowing that his clan and the missing members of Fairy Tail were still alive. That she was still alive. Though he had long ago decided that wasn't the case and that weighed on him every day.

Oh boy, his little brother sighing, that wasn't good. Sasuke only did that when he was upset, instead of angry. It was a feeling Itachi understood painfully well. "Sasuke, you're doing it again…" He sighs, approaching his little brother, and sitting on the corner of the desk. "I know that it's hard…but you should try not to dwell on the sad things. You know that they wouldn't want that."

Well, not if the few visits they had paid to Fairy Tail in the months between meeting Erza, and the disappearance of the core members had been any indication. Fairy Tail was more than happy to engage in drinking obscene amounts of alcohol, making enough noise to rouse the dead, and trash the entire ground floor with their overly enthusiastic bar fights. Which may or may not have resulted in one extremely angry Queen of the Fairies taking out the trash after having her strawberry cake ruined by a careless tackle.

"I doubt that they would want you to spy on me either." Sasuke glances at his brother. "So it seems they'd be displeased with both of us." Though he was probably right. "I don't dwell on it. Not on most days." Alright. That was a lie. He did dwell on it, just not as obsessively on most days. "It's just the anniversary of their disappearance." Still, anniversaries were the hardest days to cope with.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were alright." Itachi knew how hard Sasuke was taking everything. And if his foolish little brother really thought that Itachi didn't know what he was writing in that book, he was sorely mistaken. Not that he had snooped, not in a couple of years, but he knew his brother's mind well enough that he could guess at the contents. "You're right, it's not fair. This day isn't easy for any of us." Not after spending time with Fairy Tail's wizards.

They were…unique, even among wizards. Itachi could say that with some certainty. Their devil may care attitude was infectious, a little alarmingly so, and they were definitely the most destructive of the Light Guilds. But Itachi had never met a family so loving, so close. And it was hard to see the fallout from all of that being ripped apart. Especially with how Fairy Tail's reputation had sunk. That part was infuriating, to put it mildly. "And the atmosphere inside the guild is a little depressing, even for me." Though he couldn't begrudge it of their master. Bob had lost one of his oldest friends with their disappearance. It hurt him…to see their new family suffer.

"I guess we could both use something to take our minds off everything." Sasuke tosses an issue of Sorcerer Weekly at him. "And you might want to talk to them...they're getting a bit personal with the type of info that they've printed about you. I think they're just speculating. How else could they possibly know THAT?!"

Upon hearing his brother's tone, Itachi raises an eyebrow, not daring yet to look. "If this is about Jenny, I assure you, that was a misunderstanding." Just what had they written about him that would prompt such a strong reaction from Sasuke?

He raises an eyebrow. "What about Jenny?" Sasuke shakes his head. "They listed your measurements, Itachi. ALL of them." Which apparently included the standard measurements like his height and weight, but most alarmingly his kunai size.

Itachi groans. "Of course they did." Why wouldn't they? The reporters simply had no concept of the word privacy. "And as for Jenny, it's nothing to be concerned about. She was simply asking me my opinion on whether or not Shisui would be up for a threesome involving Hibiki. I had NO intention of…taking part, no matter what Ren might think." Just to make sure, though, he flips through the magazine until he finds the page that so concerned Sasuke. "…And they're wrong, they're short by an inch."

"Oh." Sasuke blinks. "I half expected her to try to get a matching set." All three of them. Jenny had been looking at him differently lately. Though he thought she was just trying to fluff his ego more than anything, it was hard to tell. "And I didn't need to know that...but I guess you could always have them issue a correction instead of a retraction." Though the latter was useless in this case. That kind of information would spread like wildfire.

"No need, it might be amusing to watch the ladies debate about it." Though speaking of ladies, Sasuke was eighteen already, and still hadn't taken much interest in the many beautiful women around them. Of course, Itachi wasn't one to accept every invitation offered, but once you got past the vapid exterior, and the flirting, many of the women within the guild were much less shallow than they would first appear. The fact that Sasuke didn't seem to want to take much interest worried him. "However, if you were to accept such an invitation, I would caution you to be careful, but not protest."

"You're out of your mind, if you think I'm telling Sorcerer Weekly my kunai size." Everyone always compared the Uchiha to each other. Sasuke supposed to a certain extent it was only natural and normally, he didn't mind that much. "They'd never let something like that go." Still, it was one thing to be compared based on your magical skills, your intelligence, or even your looks in general...but he drew the line at measurements.

That's when it occurred him that Itachi might have meant something else. "And I don't even want to know how they find out about that." Though he wouldn't take the bait. Not unless Itachi pressed. That was dangerous territory and Itachi might tease him without mercy until he was Bob's age, if he fell into that trap.

Itachi smirks. "Very well, though if you do feel the need to tell the reporters the size of your kunai, I'm sure no one will protest that. But you are even more innocent than I thought if you believe THAT is what I was referring to."

He sighs mockingly and shakes his head. "Though I suppose that I might be to blame for this. I have traumatized you into being terrified of even speaking of sex. It seems that I will never be an uncle. Or is it because she has taken to wearing pink, and convincing Hibiki to do the same? You must admit that the color flatters him surprisingly well."

"You're...probing for information." Sasuke shakes his head. "I'm not going to fall for it." Not this time! He knew better! No more Itachi mindfucks for him!

"Not at all, I'm simply informing you that if Jenny extends the invitation to you, and you accept, that I will not protest you finally obtaining some experience with women." Itachi's smirk only grows. Sasuke was delusional if he thought that he was going to 'win' this time. "So, is it the pink? I know that you're not fond of the color."

He rolls his eyes. "I was eight. I've gotten over my aversion to it." It was orange that irritated him more these days, but that was besides the point. "And I don't think she's serious about it anyway. I think she just doesn't want me to feel left out in some strange way." That or the woman had an Uchiha Fetish. (Which was actually becoming something of an official thing according to a certain magazine).

"Well, I doubt that she would think you were being left out if you had a girlfriend." Itachi chuckles, knowing that he's winning the 'war'. "I'm not saying that you have to be like Ren and Sherry, dancing around a date for the wedding, but a little interest in women might convince her that you're not lonely."

Sasuke didn't know whether to laugh or be terrified at the fact that his overprotective brother was encouraging him to find 'companionship'. "On the off chance that I found someone, how do I know you wouldn't traumatize her?" Itachi could dress it up anyway that he wanted, but that's essentially what it boiled down to. "With a genjutsu or your games."

"Oh, I would try." Itachi smirks. "But if she cannot handle being exposed to me, how in the world would you expect her to handle you?" Sasuke might not like to admit it,but he was a hard case, to put it mildly. "Besides, I find that the women in this world are built a little tougher than what I grew up with." An understatement, since nearly every female who disappeared six years ago would easily be able to send him through a wall, if he weren't fighting back. It seemed to be a common theme here. The women were not to be taken lightly.

"You're not nearly a good enough actor to pull off that innocent routine." As if he was somehow more intimidating than Itachi! Ha! "Anyway, I guess it wouldn't hurt to look." He didn't want to sound vain, but for some reason their trio had captured the interest of the wizarding and non-wizarding communities alike. "And that doesn't mean you have permission to tell Shisui to go crazy and for him to host a beauty pageant or something!" Sasuke pawned most of it off to them being foreign though. People tended to be attracted to what they considered 'exotic'.

"Fine, fine." Itachi holds up his hands in mock surrender. "Though I doubt that hosting a beauty pageant would necessarily attract the sort of woman who could handle you." Not unless there was a battle portion involved. "Maybe you'll find someone who catches your eye at the next Grand Magic Games? We could go and watch next time." He smiles at the thought. "I'm sure that Sorcerer Weekly would be more than happy to see Blue Pegasus' Inferno at the games, participating or not."

"Maybe, Bob would let us join this year." Sasuke cocks his head to the side considering it. "I mean the prize money is considerable and it would be nice to see how we measure up against wizards from other guilds."

"Perhaps." Blue Pegasus participated every year, but the two of them had never participated in the games. Shisui had, twice, but Itachi had opted not to, and he'd been hesitant to encourage the master to let Sasuke join the team. "I suppose you could ask to be put on the team, if you really want to compete."

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. "You're so eager to encourage me to compete in the Arena of Love, but not an actual arena?" Itachi really would forever be a mother hen it seemed. Well a father hen. A rooster? Ah fuck it!

"Well, in the former, there is little chance of you getting yourself killed." Itachi knew that the Games could be brutal, and there were instances where people had even died. It wasn't common, not at all, but there had been a few…incidents. "Besides, in love, I can give you advice, even be your shield or interfere if I see that something is wrong, in the arena, there is only so much help I can give you."

"Itachi, I'm eighteen. I'm not a child anymore." He shakes his head and smiles at him. "I love that you care so much, but I can fight my own battles now."

"I know…I just can't help but worry." Itachi sighs, placing his hand on Sasuke's head, pressing their foreheads together. "I am your older brother…I will ALWAYS worry about you. Even as I support you growing stronger."

Sasuke smiles at him and nods. "I know, but there is a fine line between overprotective and stalker. Try not to cross it." The younger Uchiha smirks. "Speaking of stalkers, you're seriously not going to do anything about the Sorcerer Weekly?"

Itachi chuckles at the thought. "Yes…Sorcerer Weekly. I suppose I could give them a little…lecture regarding respecting a wizard's privacy." He did know many ways of getting people to do what he wanted.

"That would probably be best before they want you to bare it all or something like that." Which knowing them, wasn't outside the realm of possibility. "And that's one thing that I could definitely live without seeing." Success! Diversion tactics had been successfully deployed!

"Yes, I'm sure…" Itachi shakes his head. "But as Shisui says…you still need to get laid. So try and find a nice girl. Preferably, one who can handle your poor attempts to change the subject and avoid answering questions."

"They're not poor attempts!" They worked on everybody else!

Two fingers poke Sasuke square in the middle of his forehead. "If they were not, I would be more easily deterred. But for now, I will drop the matter." Itachi loved seeing the annoyed look on his little brother's face. It was terribly endearing. "Though I do hope, at least, that you get more than just your first kiss before you're twenty."

"You're one to talk..." Sasuke fumes at his brother. "You weren't exactly in any hurry to find companionship either!" He was seriously starting to wonder if maybe Itachi really did have a thing for Shisui. That was apparently a thing in this world. There were some rumors going around about a wizard named Freed and some blond from Fairy Tail. "It's just...nevermind."

Well, seeing as the two were among those who disappeared on Tenrou Island six years ago, Itachi didn't see much of a connection to begin with. "I am discreet, Sasuke, not a monk." And okay, maybe Hibiki rubbed off on him just a little bit. Though he would never be the playboy that Hibiki was.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow rather incredulously. "Uh huh. Who is this mythical lover then?" Because Sasuke would have noticed if Itachi was involved with someone.

"No one serious, at the moment. My last attempt at a relationship was several months ago. But I'm not short on offers, you know." He pokes Sasuke's forehead a little harder. "And that is all I will tell you."

"I know you get offers you keep making that stupid list of eligible bachelors or whatever they call it!" And damn it, now that he was eighteen Sasuke was old enough to be included in those polls. Was it vain that he expected to be somewhere in them on the next go around? "It's just you never take anyone up on them or at least it didn't seem like it."

"Foolish little brother, I am not Shisui." Just because Itachi didn't make his affections so…public, didn't mean that he'd completely ignored his libido. "Though I suppose that the list certainly helps. I'm sure that you'll be on it, come the new year."

He eyes him warily. "We aren't going to...compete over that silly thing are we?" Shisui would probably joke about it. Maybe, Itachi would be more mature though.

"Of course not. And look at it this way." Itachi smiles widely. "You may soon be taking Ren's place on the list." After all, the man was going to be married soon, months, maybe a year, tops. Still it was good to see Sasuke's spirits higher. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, I am feeling better." Sasuke smirks. "The prospect of pissing Ren off is always an exciting one."

Honestly, that boy could get himself into so much trouble. "Yes, you and Ren have been in some sort of competition with each other since the day you met. One day, I hope that I will come to understand it."

"Because he was a prick and put out my fire!" What kind of jerk did that when Sasuke was clearly demonstrating his capabilities?!

"You were eight, Sasuke, it's been ten years since then. Surely you can get over the fact that you were so cute when you pouted that it was hard for anyone to resist giving you a hard time, just so they could see you get annoyed with them." He was just lucky that Itachi ran enough interference that it didn't happen nearly as often as it could.

He rolls his eyes. Obviously not satisfied. "And he's been a thorn in my side ever since." Itachi just didn't understand what it meant to have a rival. No one could compete with him. Well other than Shisui and those two had never been competitive with each other for some reason.

Itachi shakes his head. "Only you, Sasuke…only you would choose, at eight years old, to make someone twice your age your rival." Sasuke often did some odd, crazy, or downright stupid things, but challenging Ren…that typically didn't go so well. Unlike in their old world, fighting wind with fire was not the best plan.

"There isn't much of a point in choosing someone to be your rival, if you can defeat them easily." Honestly, Itachi had no idea how this worked, it seemed. "You wouldn't know anything about that though." He shrugs. "Besides, just because he's older doesn't mean he's stronger than me!"

"Well, perhaps not now, but he certainly was then." And Itachi had watched Sasuke only grow since then. "In any case, I have a job, if you wanted to come along. It appears that there is a giant mole terrorizing one of the villages to the north, and they require someone to exterminate it."

A giant mole. Sasuke supposed he shouldn't be too shocked. They had giant summons back home, but for some reason...the wildlife here still surprised him. "Sure. I"ll come along." If evolution were a deity in this realm, he or she was certainly on crack because the animals were just so...bizarre. From adorable looking, but psychotic goblins to giant moles.

Itachi smirks as Sasuke reaches for his traveling bag. "Oh, and it's apparently a hundred feet tall."

"…I don't get how they didn't notice it before it came to town." Sasuke shakes his head. "Only in Earthland."

* * *

Six years, three months, and two days, but the numbers weren't really that important. What was important was that that's how long it took Hibiki to get the best news they'd had since the downfall of the Oracion Seis. It also meant that Christina broke a few speed records that day. Not to mention Hibiki as he races back int the guild after a long day of flying around, recording ethernano levels off the coast of Hargeon. And he had Ren and Eve hot on his heels as he nearly comes crashing back into the club. "Master Bob!"

The old guild master looks up from the bar and away from the three boys in front of him, getting in a drink after coming back from a job, pausing during the motion of wiping a glass. "Hibiki?" He blinks as said wizard bends over, his hands on his knees as he pants, trying to catch his breath. "What's going on?"

Itachi blinks at the sight of the top host in the guild, who'd raced in like there was a demon at his heels. Though the smile on his face would say otherwise. "What's got him so excited?"

"I don't know..." Sasuke tilts his head. "Maybe he found a sale on hair gel or something." This was the Blue Pegasus Guild, after all.

His breath half caught, Hibiki strides quickly to the bar, a wide smile plastered all over his face. "We did it. All of my calculations and observations panned out, and…" He shakes his head, laughing softly. "It's incredible, it's like they never left. We found them in the exact condition they were in when Acnologia supposedly annihilated the island!"

There's the sound of shattering glass as Bob drops everything he's holding. "You mean…Maki?"

"Yeah!" Hibiki's smile grows even brighter, if possible. "We found them. All of them. They're all alive. Every single member of Fairy Tail that disappeared seven years ago. Our mission was a success…" Fairy Tail's heart had returned from the dead.


	8. Chapter 8

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Since we've gotten requests to describe the boys' clothing choices, there's a smattering of that in here (and some more detailed description regarding what Sasuke is wearing) and their appearances will be further elaborated upon in later chapters. We've gone for a mix of stylish and practical, while keeping in mind that the Uchiha boys are VERY good at strutting when they feel like it.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** There is a lot of silliness involved when it comes to clothing and just the tiniest trace of Natsu x Gray mentioned. I love Gray, but if you call Sasuke a brat, he's going to respond. So Sasuke engages in some taunting here. (All for lols though). Happy reading.

 **IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:** Due to Celestia having some technical difficulties, there will be no new updates of this story until Monday. We've been trying to update this once a day, but well I'm sure everyone understands how modern technology can be fickle sometimes.

Chapter 8

It was finally the end of June, three months since Fairy Tail's formerly missing members had returned and now, the Grand Magic Games were set to begin. The Opening Ceremony would commence in just a few short hours, but there were already thousands of tourists milling about the city, not to mention all of the wizards. One could practically taste the excitement in the air. It intermingled with the scent of all the delicious foods that were displayed everywhere in colorful booths.

Most people were eagerly snatching up something sweet to eat, trying to find their lodging, or buying souvenirs. "Damn it." Sasuke pulls his brother and cousin into a nearby ally way when he sees a familiar head of blond hair nearby. "That was a close one." Sasuke was mostly dodging and searching though. Dodging Jason from Sorcerer Weekly and looking for Fairy Tail.

It was maddening, but Blue Pegasus hadn't been able to see them since their return. "Now, now, Sasuke." The distance between their guilds was vast and as Master Bob said, Fairy Tail needed time to get back on track. Not to mention, most of them had scattered across the kingdom into training camps in preparation for the games. "You know that it's customary for them to interview everyone who participates at these games." Shisui chuckles at his cousin's hiding attempts. "Best just to get it over with."

That, and the three of them stuck out like sore thumbs. After all, two of them were competing today, so they were all dressed to impress. And not much stuck out more than Shisui in his scarlet jacket. Not that Itachi's blue, wave-patterened 'cape' was any less inconspicuous. Or Sasuke's liberal use of their guild emblem. But after all, minus the colors, and those few details, they were largely a matched set, which Jason was all too happy to point out.

Not that there was anyting wrong with that, after all, dark clothes suited Shisui and Itachi's training, the plashes of color suited their flashier jobs, and, well, Sasuke just liked that it was all comfortable. That, and maybe…there was a little vanity involved. But could anyone blame them for wanting to show off the biceps a little? Even if it was Sasuke who did it most often?

He normally didn't mind giving the occasional interview, but this was different. He still remembered what they had done to Itachi last time and well, he had more important things on his mind. Like finding Erza. That or at least finding earplugs. Otherwise, he would probably slug Jason the next time the overly energetic reporter said, "So cool!"

Itachi shakes his head as the three of them 'hide' from the overly enthusiastic reporter. "It isn't nearly as traumatizing as you believe it to be, Sasuke. Though I imagine that you would prefer seeing even pink hair to blond." Though pink hair was essentially what he knew that Sasuke was looking for. After all, Fairy Tail's most destructive wizard had hair that certainly stood out in a crowd. "They'll likely be with their guild now, or getting ready for the presentation of the top eight teams."

He, of course, had complete faith that with their core members back, Fairy Tail would easily make the top eight. Itachi knew well that most of the other guilds would never expect that outcome, but Blue Pegasus knew better, and he was certain that Lamia Scale knew it too. "They'll be here, even if they are not making their usual level of noise and chaos about it."

Shisui nods at that. Itachi was right. He highly doubted that Fairy Tail was going to miss the Grand Magic Games, now that their core members were back. "He's right about that." Those who remained had valiantly competed in the games every year since they began, even when they were at an obvious disadvantage without their most powerful wizards. "They'll be here." So he could see no reason why they wouldn't compete now. "Though I must admit that I am a little worried."

"Yeah." Sasuke's obsidian eyes look around warily. "It's quiet." Well it wasn't silent. There were far too many people around for that to ever be the case. "Too quiet." Though the atmosphere was certainly cheerful and festive, it was far too calm for Fairy Tail to be involved. So where were they?

"Weren't we here because you were hungry, Sasuke?" Itachi smirks at the sight of Sasuke's confused and panicked face. "Fairy Tail will show themselves on their own time. Relax." His brother was so transparent that it was painful. "I'm sure that they're fine, they're simply being quieter than usual."

The youngest Uchiha gives Itachi an incredulous look. "Fairy Tail is being quiet and you're telling me to relax?" Sasuke gives him a look that told him quite clearly what he thought about that. Itachi had lost his damn mind.

"He does have a point." Shisui shakes his head at the thought. He would have expected a lot of explosions or brawls by now. "Though maybe, they're on their best behavior for Games though. That or Erza has beaten them into conducting themselves properly. I do hope that Gray has outgrown his stripping habit though." Now, that would cause quite the scandal...

"Gray will never outgrow his stripping habit." From what Itachi understood, he and Lyon of Lamia Scale were in the habit of tripping off their clothes because it comprised part of their training in ice magic when they were young. An interesting sort of training, if you asked him, but some teachers were simply more eccentric than others, he supposed.

"Gray! Your clothes!" A girl's voice rings out across the concession area as a muttering crowd gets louder. Along with more than a few giggling girls.

Itachi blinks upon hearing the voice. Was that…Lucy? "…Shisui, I do believe that I'm right. Again."

Shisui rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Yes, that does appear to be the case. Well...at least Sorcerer Weekly can get his measurements accurately." Oh boy. This was going to be a long tournament.

"I really don't get how he can strip and not notice at all." Sasuke shakes his head. "Come on. We should go and see them." After all, Gray was a man like him. There was nothing Gray Fullbuster had that the three of them didn't. Now, if Gray had been Grace or something, then Sasuke would have waited longer out of a sense of courtesy, but in his mind...they had all waited long enough.

Fortunately for all of them, Gray's stripping habit didn't always involve his boxers. And today was one such day when the underwear had STAYED on. Though Lucy was none too pleased as she held out his clothes for him as he was pulling his pants back on. "Honestly, Gray, could you try NOT to make their opinion of us any worse?"

"Oh I don't know." Shisui chuckles as they make their way over to them. "His stripping habit might improve your reputation with at least some of the women."

Sasuke was walking by his brother's side. It had been nearly seven years. "I think they'll be more shocked that you all returned from the dead than Gray being...Gray." So he doubted that he'd be recognized by the other guild at first. Though the stamp on his shoulder, left bare by a dark blue sleeveless, turtlenecked shirt marked him as a Blue Pegasus Wizard at the very least.

That is, if you weren't distracted by the flames twirling up the sides of his shirt, and over his shoulders, a personal touch to go with his nickname. And the dark leather belts around his hips that held up slightly baggy black pants were similarly marked with their guild's emblem. As were the dark wrist-guards that extended towards his elbows. One of the few places the emblem wasn't present was on the knee-high boots that matched the wrist-guards. But, of course, you had to stop somewhere.

Lucy glances at the two and blinks. "Who…" Then, her eyes find Itachi as well, and they flick between Itachi and Shisui. "You're from Blue Pegasus." And judging by the profusion of emblems, so was the third member of their party. "Shisui and Itachi, and…"

"No way!" Gray pulls his shirt over his head, before finally reaching for his jacket. "You've gotta be the brat right? Sasuke, Itachi's kid brother."

Itachi covers his mouth, trying not to laugh at the comical pair. His brother was NOT going to like being addressed like THAT.

Sasuke twitches ever so slightly. It was bad enough to be addressed in such a way when he was actually a child, but now that he was the same age as Gray physically, well that was a bridge too far.

Wait. Why was Gray the same age as him?! He should be like Shisui's age! "Yes, I"m Sasuke and what happened to you?" Well it was more like what didn't happen to him! The Fairy Tail Members hadn't aged a day!

"I think what my cousin means to say is that it looks as though no time has passed at all since we last met." It was disturbing even to Shisui. "It's been over six years, but you look the same today as the day you disappeared. How is that possible?"

As Gray tugs on the last of his clothes, he shares a look with his guildmate. "That's…complicated." Glancing around at the crowd, he shakes his head and motions over towards one of the hallways carved into the walls of the arena.

Shisui and Sasuke got the point. The two Uchihas dart into the hallway, knowing that Itachi would follow them. One way or another, they were going to get to the bottom of this.

Making sure that the coast is clear of nosy onlookers, Itachi brings up the rear behind his brother, cousin, and the two other wizards. "This must be rather…interesting, if you'd rather not talk about it where people can overhear us."

"Understatement…" Lucy sighs, shaking her head. "More like it's better not to cause a panic. Mentioning Acnologia could do just that."

Acnologia? Sasuke had heard that name before. "Acnologia? As in the dragon?" They had actually seen the dragon?!

"Uh, yeah, as in the dragon." Gray rolls his eyes. "Didn't the Magic Council say anything about the fact that Acnologia tried to blast Tenrou Island out of existence after we threw down with Grimoire Heart?" It was bad enough that they had to contend with a spy from the Magic Council, Zeref, and Grimoire heart all crashing their S-Class exam, but then a dragon? Come on, that just wasn't playing fair.

Itachi nods. "There were rumors floating around that Acnologia had been spotted from Hargeon, but the authorities decided neither to confirm or deny the rumors. Hibiki confirmed the attack with his Archive Magic, though."

The eye roll irritated Sasuke, but he decides he'd get payback later. In the Arena. "The dragon just attacked the island and disappeared for six years?" There were far more important things to focus on than Gray being annoying. He'd prove that he wasn't just Itachi's kid brother soon enough.

"Seems so." Lucy sighs, glancing at the sky, remembering the day that black wings blocked out the sun itself. "Anyway…what happened was…we tried to fight that thing, but even with four dragon slayers…" She shake her head. "It was only thanks to the power of our first master that we all survived. But it turns out that we were stuck inside Fairy Sphere a lot longer than we thought." And they'd lost a lot. Not just time, but people too.

Itachi frowns. He'd seen that expression before. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss."

Lucy blinks. "Ah…I…" Then, she smiles softly. "Thanks…" She wanted to say that she'd be okay, but that still felt a long ways off after finding out that her father had died a few months ago.

Shisui's eyes soften at that. As did Sasuke's. They all knew what it was like to lose someone. "For what it's worth, I'm sure that he knows you made it out. Somehow." Sasuke nods at her. "And he would have been proud of you for making it out with your sanity intact." He smiles at her.

"And of course, I'm sure that he would also think that you look quite lovely in purple." Shisui smiles at her, trying to lighten the mood. "It's not a color that everyone can pull off, you know?"

The compliment makes her laugh, though she cringes at the uniform. "Yeah…but it's not really my color. Or Elfman's." Seriously, that was a rather terrifying color on their giant guildmate. And honestly, it clashed with Natsu's hair too. "But Gray and Erza pull it off well."

"Well to be fair, Elfman is a man who is rather unique when it comes to what looks good on him and what doesn't." Shisui nods conversationally. "That's true about Gray though. It's a shame that he keeps taking them off so much." He chuckles. "And I'm sure that Erza looks quite lovely as well."

"Gray, put your damn clothes on." Sasuke smirks. Gray hadn't actually stripped this time. He just wanted to mess with him.

"They ARE on you moron!" Gray crosses his arms, eye flicking down just to make sure that they really hadn't come off again. "Jeez, learn a thing or two from your cousin about giving out compliments."

Shisui chuckles at Gray's outrage. "He knows they were on. Sasuke...what was the expression again?" He frowns as he tries to remember. "Oh yes, he made you look. He was teasing you, Gray and rather effectively, I must say."

"Exactly and the idiot fell for it because he knows that he's an idiot who can't keep his clothes on." Sasuke smirks, feeling rather victorious.

Itachi stifles another laugh. "Shisui, are you really so disappointed that Gray keeps taking off his clothes? You didn't seem to mind so much earlier."

And now, Sasuke felt rather disturbed as Shisui gapes at Itachi. "And what exactly are you trying to imply?" Good grief, Itachi could be sadistic sometimes! "I'm saying the color favors him, but no one is going to notice that...if he never wears it." Or anything.

"I am implying nothing, I simply asked a question." But Itachi smirks rather smugly at the reaction. Not only did he have a foolish little brother, but he also had a rather foolish cousin as well.

Lucy giggles softly. "Yes, it does suit him, doesn't it?" She clucks her tongue as Gray rolls his eyes. "Though if he would stop stripping down every chance he got, then maybe people wouldn't STARE so much!"

"Hey, I can't control it!" It had been an ingrained habit since he was like…eight! Gray blamed Ur for that, always had, always would. Oh, and Lyon, that idiot encouraged it. "And it was for TRAINING! You know that!"

As far as Sasuke was concerned. Ur should have been named Cougar. "Yes, training. Of course." It was perfectly normal for teachers to ingrain a stripping habit into their young student's psyche, Sasuke thinks to himself sarcastically.

Shisui swats Itachi upside the head playfully. "My cousins are both feeling mischievous today. You'll have to forgive them." He smiles at their friends. "This is their first time competing in the Games as well."

As Itachi waves Shisui's hand away, Lucy's eyes widen. "You're competing in the games, too?" She was still having trouble reconciling the young man in front of her with the little boy she remembered. And the last time she saw them, Itachi was her age. "Oh, then good luck. We're aiming for first place this year!"

Sasuke bites back his natural competitive impulse a bit. Normally, he'd say that Lucy would have to settle for second, but she was just too nice to say such things to. "Yes, I am." Gray on the other hand, well the youngest Uchiha would have no issue putting him in his place! "And I'm sure that you'll do well." After all, second place was still good.

"Yes, the both of us will be competing this year." Normally, Itachi would be perfectly happy watching from the sidelines, but Sasuke had seemed so eager to compete, and Shisui had pushed just hard enough to get him to agree. After all, Sabertooth's winning streak had to come to an end sooner or later. Though it appeared that there would be more than two guilds gunning to unseat the reigning champions.

"Well it's good to see that your competitive spirit is still intact." Shisui smiles at her. Ever the gentleman. "Though we shall have to see about that." Or not. Sasuke barely refrains from snorting at the unexpected display of competitiveness from Shisui, civil as it was.

Gray raises an eyebrow, his smirk quick to return. "That so? You should know that Fairy Tail doesn't do anything in by half. And we owe it to our guild to bring them home a win this year."

Itachi saw that this was likely to start getting out of hand, so this time, it's him holding back his brother and cousin. "Yes, I'm sure that we'll all compete well. But let's save the confrontations for the arena floor, shall we?"

"Sounds good to me." Sasuke smirks. "So where is your boyfriend, Ice Princess?" He had started it. Sasuke would finish it.

Unexpected to everyone in attendance, Gray's cheeks flush, and he shoves Sasuke away. "Shut up! Like I'd ever date that flame-brain!" Lucy stares as the ice wizard stalks off, nearly losing his shit in the process.

"Well…" Itachi blinks at the sight. "That was…enlightening."

Shisui chuckles as he looks at Itachi. "Well they are certainly an entertaining guild." One had to give them that much.

"Wait!" Sasuke blinks as he darts off after them for a moment. "Where is everyone else?" Specifically, he meant Erza, but he wasn't foolish enough to say that.

"She's with Natsu." Lucy watches as Gray starts to disappear. "There's some stands selling barbecue in the next concession section and Natsu smelled them. So she went after him to make sure he didn't set anything on fire." She glances into the crowd again, seeing nothing of Gray. "Sorry, I have to go!"

As the girl takes after her guildmate like a bullet, Itachi chuckles, shaking his head. "Sasuke, you have quite the talent for hitting rather sore spots, don't you?"

"He started it." Sasuke didn't refrain from rolling his eyes this time. "He called me a brat when he's the same age as me! Physically." It was bad enough that he had to put up with references to his age for years when he was actually a kid. At eighteen, he had had quite enough of that. "He deserved it."

"Perhaps, but teasing him about such a thing was…hitting below the belt." Though Itachi couldn't decide if this new development was completely unexpected, or tragically inevitable.

Shisui shakes his head and sighs. "Well I doubt that it's the first time such a thing has happened. Those two really do need to stop living in denial." He shakes his head again. "The reaction was rather comical, but you should probably apologize later."

"I don't see why I have to apologize for stating water is wet, but if you think I should humor his delusions, alright." Sasuke didn't particularly care that the Ice Stripper and Loud Mouth had a thing for each other. "Once they get together, it'll be less likely that they'll destroy their guild. Their efforts will be more focused on the bedroom. So really, I was doing them a favor."

"Yes, but they've been fighting with each other since the first day that they met." Or so Itachi had heard on one of their visits to Fairy Tail. "It's likely an idea that neither of them wants to entertain for fear of being shut down."

"Yeah." Sasuke nods. "Someone had to give them a push." It might as well be him.

"Then let us hope that your next comment doesn't shove them off a cliff." Itachi shakes his head, giving his own brother a shove to the back. "Now go on, you have a pair of Fairies to find, do you not?"

"You mean we have a pair of fairies to find." The younger Uchiha shoots him a quizzical look. "But you're right." Sasuke gestures for them to follow him. "Lets go find them. Do we have a gag for Natsu just in case?" He looks at his family hopefully.

Shisui couldn't help but laugh at that. "I think we can manage in the worse case scenario." The Bubble Eyes, they still existed. It was just rare that they came out. "Come on, Itachi. It would be rude to keep our friends waiting."

"Yes, I suppose it would." Itachi chuckles as he sniffs the air. His nose was far from that of a dragon slayer, but he could smell the scent of barbecue in the air well enough, and it was getting closer with every step. "They shouldn't be too far, now. And I suppose…if Gray and Lucy haven't aged in the time they've been away, it's likely safe to assume that Natsu and Erza have not aged either."

Itachi knew, Sasuke realizes. He knew or at least suspected and his elder brother was digging around to confirm his suspicions. "Most likely." He tries to sound casual. The last thing he needed was to give Itachi any sort of proof.

He knew that he was being ridiculous. Proof of what? That he was attracted to a beautiful woman who really knew how to handle swords? Wait. He shouldn't have thought that. That was bringing to mind some rather inappropriate images. Damn Itachi's mindfucks were powerful, even when he wasn't trying...he still managed to mess with Sasuke's mind!

"I would say that's a safe bet." Shisui smiles as the three of them heads off. "Though I wouldn't say no to what do they call them? Oh yes, a hot dog." The food in this realm could be rather delicious, even if it wasn't always the healthiest.

"Yes, I imagine that we'll find Natsu shoving many of those into his mouth." Itachi could imagine the expressions on the faces of the vendors when they became witness to the mountains of food that that boy could eat. "Will you be wanting one Sasuke? They do cover them in ketchup." And as Sasuke was rather fond of tomatoes…

"Yeah. I don't see why not." It was going to be a little while before the ceremony. They might as well eat. "And you're right, Natsu is likely eating the poor booths out. We should hurry." Or there wouldn't be anything left.

Shisui nods in agreement as they head off. The three of them walking together, side by side as they always did. "I have to confess it is rather flattering to be recognized." He whispers so lowly that only his family members could hear him as Shisui feels hundreds of eyes on them. Probably courtesy of Sorcerer Weekly.

Itachi was used to the stares by now, after all, they'd made names for themselves in Blue Pegasus. Itachi the Tsunami, they called him. Not entirely inappropriate, of course, after all, it had caught on after an…incident on a job, involving quite a large wildfire, and an even larger amount of water.

Shisui for his part was quite happy with his own name. Hurricane Shisui. "Just keep looking for a head of pink hair. Natsu should stick out." He'd been given that nickname because the winds that his abilities could produce were as powerful as any hurricane. "Even in a crowd this large."

"That or wherever the loudest noise is coming from." Sasuke doubted that even Erza could keep Natsu quiet for long. "Assuming that we can hear it over the giggling." He mutters as he tries to ignore the giggling and pointing that always accompanied the three of them during public appearances. He might have been named Inferno, but it was the Dragon Slayer who the very embodiment of the destructive powers of fire. The same Dragon Slayer that they now had to find, if they were going to find Erza.

"Happy! Catch!" A bunch of grilled fish go flying into the air not twenty feet away, followed by a bright blue cat, held aloft with pure white wings.

"Aye, Sir!" Tumbling deftly through the air, the cat swipes up every fish, shoving one into his mouth to munch on. The people of Earthland were used to strange creatures roaming about, but Happy was something of an oddity among them, along with the other flying cats, Exceeds, that found themselves a home in the Fairy Tail guild.

Itachi chuckles at the sight. "Well, I do believe that we've found them."

Only Fairy Tail would have flying, talking cats." Sasuke snorts in amusement. "Well them and Sabertooth." He shakes his head at the thought of that guild. "Though you're right." He heads over with Shisui and Itachi towards the blue feline.

In the midst of the chaos and mumbling, some of the mutters none too pleasant, are Natsu, Erza, and the blue bundle of flying, purring joy, Happy, who makes himself a place on top of Natsu's head in order to eat his fish.

Erza shakes his head, her ponytail swinging through the air. "Honestly, you two, you're drawing far too much attention to yourselves." They were getting enough attention as is, thanks to their guild's diminished reputation. No one had any idea what they were doing here, since the official teams in the games hadn't been announced yet.

"Well in all fairness, I believe a talking, flying cat would have gotten people's attention anyway." Shisui strides over. "If Natsu's pink hair or your beauty didn't do it."

Sasuke tries his best not to twitch at that. It was all true of course, but he felt a flash of jealousy at that. Still, he dutifully continues on forward alongside his flirtatious cousin and brother. Though Itachi was far less of a flirt than the former was.

Natsu's eyes fall on the three as he swallows the food shoved into his mouth. Five hot dogs, all stuffed to the brim with toppings. All at once. "Hey there, we know you guys or something?"

Shisui chuckles. Some things never changed. "Well it has been awhile. So I can't fault you for not recognizing us on sight." He smiles at them. "I'm Shisui and you might remember my cousins, Itachi and Sasuke. We're from Blue Pegasus."

Natsu blinks, sniffing the air as his eyes widen. "Whoa! Seriously!?" He stares at Sasuke like he'd grown an extra head, or two, or three. "Whoa, man, you grew! You're taller than me now!?" That was so not fair!

Sasuke wasn't sure whether he wanted to smirk or swat Natsu for his observation. "Yes, that tends to happen to most people over the course of almost seven years." So he settled on smirking, Erza might not approve of him swatting her teammate, even if she smacked him around like a ping pong ball all the time.

The dragon slayer isn't the only one to raise an eyebrow. Erza is more than a little intrigued herself. "The Uchiha boys. Yes…I remember you. It doesn't seem like all that long ago since we last saw each other, but…" The proof was staring her in the face. They'd grown. Sasuke, most of all.

"Yes, to us it has been quite some time, hasn't it?" Itachi couldn't blame them for being surprised. He was quite surprised himself, to see them both so young. And most importantly, alive.

"Well we prefer the title men now." Shisui shakes his head good-naturedly. "I'm closer to my 30th birthday these days than my 20th." He felt a bit self-conscious about that really. "Though it seems that your guild has done the impossible. You've frozen time itself...well at least when it comes to your physical forms." He probably shouldn't have been that blunt, but it was amazing. "How are the two of you feeling?" Was it painful to be frozen for that many years? Weren't their muscles stiff?

"Perfectly fine." Erza smiles kindly at him. "We emerged from our battle relatively unscathed. So there's no need to worry. We will be perfectly capable of competing in the tournament."

"Yeah, takes more than some dumb dragon to take us out." Natsu shoves another handful of hot dogs into his mouth. That thing hadn't scared him, he was the first to rush back into battle against it.

Shisui grins widely. "I'm glad to hear it." Well it truly seemed as if they were no worse for wear! Miraculous really!

"Never doubted that for a moment." Sasuke smiles as well. "That you would be capable of competing, I mean."

Erza's expression falls slightly. "Yes. Though I suppose that we have given our friends many reasons to doubt us." They all had their reputations to earn back. That to once again prove that Fairy Tail was the strongest guild in Fiore. That much could not be in dispute.

Shoving a bit more food into his mouth, Natsu rolls his eyes at them. "If you're just gonna stand here yacking, I'm gonna go find Lucy and the Ice Princess. My nose is itching."

"That'lll change soon enough. "Sasuke smiles at her. "Once they see you fight, and Lucy is done dealing with Gray's most recent trauma." The youngest Uchiha shrugs. "He bit off more than he could chew, but he's fine."

Natsu's eyes narrow, nose twitching. "What'd you do to him?"

Itachi raises an eyebrow. That was…an interesting reaction. Natsu looked like…well, like a dragon that had been poked with a sharp stick, and was debating on whether or not to eat the unfortunate soul who thought such a thing was a good idea.

"Nothing too much." Sasuke shoots him a flat look. "I just pointed out the obvious. I didn't lay a hand on him."

Sensing danger on the horizon as Natsu's nostrils flare, Erze elbows the pink-haired dragon slayer. "Go and find the others, the opening ceremonies will be starting soon. And Happy, make sure to ask the master and Porlyusica for updates."

"Aye, Sir!" Happy waves his paw in the air as Natsu turns around, grumbling. "And I'll make sure Natsu is back before it all starts, okay!?"

"That's perfectly fine, Happy." Erza shakes her head with a soft snort as the contrast of pink and blue wanders off into the crowd. "Luckily, Natsu is more focused on the games, than on picking a fight with friends."

"Yes, that could have gotten quite messy otherwise." Itachi didn't really fancy watching his brother and the dragon slayer throw down in the middle of the booths. Mostly because even with such a long blank period, he wasn't sure that his little brother could win.

"Yeah." Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. Luckily, Natsu's attention span was even shorter than the amount of time that Grey could keep his clothes on. "So how are you...settling back in?"

"It is…an adjustment. But in some ways, it is like we never left." The adjustment part was difficult, though. They'd simply missed so much time, and Erza wasn't sure if they could make all of it up. "However, we have spent what time we've had preparing for these games, and I believe that we should put on quite the show. That will be adjustment enough."

Smiling knowingly, Itachi tugs on Shisui's collar and motions to the food stands. "We'll go and purchase the food. I'm sure that you have…catching up to do."

"Yes, we'll pick you up some hot dogs for later." Shisui smiles at Sasuke as he slips off with Itachi.

"If it's anything like you did to that criminal wizard, I'm sure the audience will enjoy the fireworks." Sasuke nods at them, barely noting their departure at all.

"After they finish booing us." She could already see how their reception was going to go, if the attitudes of the general public were any indication. "They will remember soon enough what Fairy Tail is capable of."

"If they boo you, then we are going to need a lot of medics." Sasuke shakes his head. If they couldn't recognize a Queen when they saw one, they needed their eyes checked. "If their vision is truly that poor that they don't recognize a placing team when they see one, then Fiore is going to need many, many medics and just as many new pairs of eyeglasses will have to be forged."

"Not likely. I will be there to remind Natsu that we're not allowed to attack the crowd." And he would listen, if he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Erza's wrath. "Besides, we wouldn't want to create any more work for Wendy and Ms. Porlyusica."

He shakes his head. It was going to be strange to see Wendy. She was roughly his age, Sasuke was almost sure of it, but she wouldn't look it. "I"m sure you'll change their minds quickly. People love to cheer on winners." Any loyalty they felt to particular guilds usually vanished, if that guild did poorly enough. "Any place in the top three should restore your guild's reputation to its former position."

"Perhaps, but our guild deserves nothing less than first, after everything we put them through." And it was her job to put them there. "After we allowed them to sink so low, it is the least we can do for them."

"You didn't allow anything." Sasuke caresses her cheek. "It's not as if you had a choice. Lucy and Gray told us what happened." The dragon. "No one could have done better against such a foe than your guild. It's a miracle that you're all still alive. Fairy Tail might have been a far cry from what it once was, but you're back now." He tilts his head at her. "And any damage to your reputations can be fixed as long as your hearts are still beating. Even if you get second place." He smiles slyly at that last part.

"Is that so?" She knew a challenge when she heard one, despite the gentle touch. "Then I look forward to competing with you. You are going to be representing Blue Pegasus, isn't that right?"

He nods and gestures to his arm. "That's right." His brother and cousin were in the guild, so it really wasn't a surprise that he was. Then again, the leader of Raven Tail was the son of Makarov and they weren't in the same guild. "And I'm sure that Fairy Tail will be lucky to have you represent them." So maybe, in hindsight that wasn't always a safe assumption. That family members would always be in the same guild.

"So that's where you were hiding it." She laughs at the motion. "Good. I'm sure that you will do your guild proud. As I will do my best to do the same." She returns his gesture, touching his cheek lightly, and comparing the young boy she knew, to the man now standing before her. "I look forward to seeing how your abilities have progressed."

"Thanks and you too. I haven't seen everything you can do yet." Sasuke smiles at her. Suddenly, he was really glad his nosy relatives had left to get food. "I've only seen you use one move so far." They would take that the wrong way about moves and what she could do. The damn perverts.

Erza's eyes twinkle amusedly at him. "Then I hope that I will impress. After all, it wouldn't do to hold back too much in a competition like this." Her hand reaches up to ruffle his hair, before falling away. "Be sure to put on your best performance as well." She backs away, turning with a smile. "My team will need me soon, but I'll see you at the opening ceremonies."

The hair ruffling again?! "Alright. I'll see you then." Damn it. She still saw him as a damn puppy. He wasn't a member of that Quatro Ceberus Guild though! "And good luck!" If Sasuke was, that analogy might make more sense, but he belonged to Pegasus! He was just going to have to do well in the competitions, he supposed. It was hard to call someone a kid, after they've won a few battles.

An even brighter and more determined smile graces her face as she turns away. "And to you as well, Sasuke." She waves goodbye, quickly disappearing into the crowd to search for her wayward teammates.

Itachi and Shisui return, and looking at his little brother's expression, Itachi shakes his head. "You will have to do better than that if you want to catch the attention of a woman as powerful as her."

"Stop implying things and seeing things that aren't there." Sasuke rolls his eyes at his brother, trying to feign mild annoyance rather than the terror he felt at being 'caught'. "You're better off giving that kind of advice to the stripper or loudmouth." Gods and Goddesses only knows what Itachi would do, if he sincerely thought he had 'proof'.

Shisui just shakes his head along with Itachi. "If you say so. Well I got us plenty of food." He smiles at his family. "One shouldn't fight on an empty stomach or one that is too full." He pauses and clarifies. "It's never a good idea to eat just before a match." Shisui had found that out the hard way a few years ago, right before his own match.

"Yes, I remember." Itachi chuckles at the memory, after cringing to a suitable extent, his nose wrinkling slightly. "That's right, Sasuke, it's best to eat lightly, snacking here and there, until it's certain that you won't be competing today." He, of course was going to do the same.

"Yeah. I remember." Sasuke nods and winces the memory. "We don't want a repeat of Shisui's first time in Games." That hadn't been pretty to put it mildly. Though Shisui had still won his match. Barely.


	9. Chapter 9

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** I AM BACK! Meaning, I'm working on my new laptop right now, and I've got all of my precious files intact. Okay, we got a review last chapter that pointed out a few things, including the relative lack of Uchiha badassery. But I promise, it is COMING. In fact, it's coming in such a heaping helping of it, that the final rankings of the games are going to be vastly different than in canon. And both Sasuke and Itachi are going to get their chance to shine. Itachi is going to get the chance to beat up…someone that frankly needs it. Gray's still gonna get a shot at him too, though, don't worry. Itachi won't get all the fun for himself.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the delay. As Celestial said, we were dealing with some technical difficulties. Anyway, in this chapter we have a few battles going on and some girl bonding. There are also slight mentions of implied Natsu x Gray. Nothing too explicit though. Happy reading!

Chapter 9

Trash? Really? Lucy had thought that they'd be a little more dignified than THAT! He audience was booing them and throwing trash? Really? They were acting like children! Almost as much as Natsu was, getting outraged over their less than warm reception.

It was about as much of a shock as finding out that their master had entered a second team in the competition. Yeah, THAT would have been nice to know earlier! They totally got shafted by their master's weird plans!

Erza touches Lucy's shoulder as she fumes. "It's alright, Lucy, they won't be acting this way forever." If nothing else, this competition was meant to restore people's opinions of Fairy Tail. It was only natural that they were going to have to work their way from the bottom, back up to the top.

"Yeah, I know…" But still, it was hard to go from being one of the most revered guilds, to the one that everyone was throwing food and garbage at. And Lucy had joined when Fairy Tail was at its height. Now, it was definitely at its lowest.

"Besides…" Erza casts her eyes in Natsu's direction. "We have more important things to worry about than what the crowd thinks of us." Because by the way Natsu was starting to get up in Gajeel's face, there was every chance that a brawl could break out in the middle of the opening ceremonies. Meaning, in front of Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Quatro Cerberus, Raven Tail, Blue Pegasus, and…Sabertooth. That team gave her a boatload of bad feelings.

Sasuke watches as the man he called Iron Mouth bickers with Natsu. It half looked like the two teammates were going to engage in a brawl. Though that wasn't nearly as important as the fact that Fairy Tail was going to have two teams. Something wasn't right about that. He didn't remember reading that anywhere in the rule book. "Something isn't right about this." The young Uchiha whisper to his brother.

Itachi chuckles, shaking his head. "They seem to have updated the rulebook this year. It allows for each guild to enter two teams, but I doubt that any guild THOUGHT to divide up their most powerful wizards into separate teams, let alone that they would both stand a chance of making it into the actual games this year. You must admit that Fairy Tail now has enough powerful wizards to make at least three, if not four competition-worthy teams. It seems that their master took advantage of the change in the rules."

"If that's the case, why do they look so shocked?" If Fairy Tail was taking advantage of a new rule, they shouldn't look so...unsettled. "Nevermind. I still don't like this." Not only because it could in theory give them an unfair advantage, but it also made them stick out. Which meant the other teams were probably going to be gunning for Fairy Tail now.

"My guess would be that their guild master didn't inform the first team that he was entering a second." At least, that is what Itachi surmised, based on the shock of Team A, but none on the part of Team B.

"I'm glad that Bob is less sneaky." Sasuke mutters. If he had been in Fairy Tail Team A, he would be furious right now. "If that's the case, I imagine Makarov is going to get an earful later." That was of course assuming Itachi was right. Which knowing Itachi, he probably was.

"Likely sooner, rather than later." Itachi winces slightly as Natsu's voice rises above the din, thankfully, not screaming obscenities at the tiny guild master. "Though it seems that whichever team loses is going to be subjected to a 'punishment'." Well, if he understood the half incoherent yelling correctly.

"This won't end well." Sasuke sighs as Natsu once again demonstrates that he had the loudest mouth in all of Earthland.

* * *

Little did he know, that Shisui was thinking the same thing. It seemed like too much of an advantage. And if something sounded too good to be true, it probably was. "Bob, do you have any idea what is going on with Fairy Tail?" Having two teams seemed to have shocked them just as much, if not more than anyone else. That hadn't been their idea.

The guild master simply grins widely and laughs. "Oh Maki…how daring!" It was just the kind of unexpected move that everyone should have expected from Fairy Tail.

Shisui blinks at that. "Daring?" He failed to see how this was daring. "They're upping their chances in theory with two teams, but they're also splitting up their strength. I guess I can see how it might be daring, but it seems foolish?" If it was a good idea, surely another team would have employed the same strategy.

"Well, it wouldn't be Fairy Tail if they weren't pushing the limits." Bob shakes his head. "Always the same. And they're probably the only guild out there with the guts, and the means to put in two teams. After all, every single wizard down there is one of their best." The only ones missing were Gildarts, and Makarov himself.

That seemed crazy to Shisui. "And their master isn't worried that such an action would damage their camaraderie?" It was one thing to compete against other guilds, but this meant it was likely that Fairy Tail Wizards would be going up against each other at some point. "I suppose we'll see if the strategy pays off." They must have really felt like they had something to prove, if they were taking such a gamble.

"Of course not. It's Fairy Tail, they're all family there." Bob remembered his own time as a member of that eccentric family. "Besides, they're naturally competitive, now they just have a place to show it!"

Shisui shakes his head. Well he wasn't a member of that guild. "I suppose that their dynamics are just different than ours then." So it wasn't really his problem. He just hoped no one got hurt.

"Yes, they're quite the rambunctious lot, aren't they? Even more than we were when we were the young, new Fairies." Wonderful, sweet memories of his youth. Bob loved them so. "I'm sure that Goldmine and Makarov remember that well."

"Yes, they're very rambunctious." Shisui shakes his head in amusement. "I suppose that's one way to put it." If one were a master of understatement.

Rambunctious was certainly not how Lucy would put it as she dragged Natsu back over to their team. At least he'd gotten them better terms regarding the two teams. The winning team would get to order around the losing team for a whole day. And her head was already brimming with imaginative ideas regarding how to do that.

But more importantly, more than the bet or the glares, or Sabertooth staring at them like the Tigers wanted to eat some Fairies, was that the first of the week's competitions was about to begin. Hidden.

* * *

Talk about a disaster. Itachi wasn't entirely certain that things could have gone any worse for Fairy Tail during that competition. The rules were supposed to be simple. Hide and seek at the same time. Hide from your competition, while seeking them out to try and land a blow one them. A blow meant a point, taking one meant that you lost a point. It had seemed simple.

Until Fairy Tail managed to get themselves an obsessed stalker of an ugly little purple man from Raven Tail. Now, Itachi wasn't usually one for insulting someone's looks, but honestly whatever had…happened to that man? Whether he was born like that, or there was some sort of magical accident, he wasn't going to sugarcoat just how vile Nulpudding looked. Especially since his attitude matched his appearance.

The fact was, Raven Tail had it out for Fairy Tail, and anyone with competent eyesight should be able to see that. Meaning…the entire audience was oblivious, save for some of the wizards in attendance.

Fortunately, Eve had managed to place well, despite the difficulty of the game. Though, thanks to a cheap shot performed by Rufus, Sabertooth had swept the game easily enough. Though that spell, the seven bolts of lightning raining down on his competitors was an extremely effective one, it was the man's attitude that made it a cheap shot.

Itachi shakes his head as Ren heads down to the arena floor for his battle. "I suppose that we should have seen this coming. Whenever Fairy Tail is involved, there's bound to be something that goes wrong." And in this case, it was Raven Tail gunning for them. It seemed that they were ignoring both the spirit of the games, as well as common decency. It didn't surprise him that they used to be a dark guild. They certainly still acted like one.

Sasuke nods in agreement. He might be cocky, but he wanted to beat the competition fairly. Gray had never had a chance in that game. "Something is going on and it's personal. The Pudding Freak was clearly targeting him. "I know that Raven Tail's Guild Master is Makarov's son and there is bad blood there, but this is ridiculous."

"Agreed." Not only was Fairy Tail under attack, but Eve was currently paying the price for getting involved in what looked like a grudge match between Raven Tail and Fairy Tail, and another conquest by Sabertooth. No one deserved to be hit with so much magic, let alone Eve. Itachi understood why Eve was competing, of course. It was for the pride of Blue Pegasus. But that still made it no easier to watch.

Luckily, they had good doctors and healers in the arena, if not of the magical kind. It seemed to be an ability that was extremely rare in this world, considered Lost Magic, magic that had largely been wiped from history.

"Speaking of ridiculous, watch out for Rufus." Shisui's own fur was rather ruffled by his display. "His outfit isn't the only thing that is flashy. He's cocky and loves to play to the crowd, but he's a threat and he loves to fight dirty. Don't forget that." Honestly, Itachi was probably the best to go up against that blonde. Sneaky son of a bitch.

Alright. Maybe, he shouldn't insult Rufus's mother like that. He'd never met the woman. "If he's willing to do that in the first contest, there's no telling what he's saving for the finals." It was just he had seen that man compete before and each year, his dislike of him grew. Though Shisui had never actually been matched up against him through sheer dumb luck (or misfortune as he would have loved to clean his clock), he'd seen more than enough of him to know what they were dealing with.

"Duly noted." Itachi glances at his cousin, frowning slightly. "Memory-Make Magic, the ability to memorize spells he's seen, even if it's only once, and then recreate and recombine them in any way he sees fit, isn't that right?" A powerful ability, if you knew how to use it well. And if nothing else, Rufus certainly knew how to use it. "If one were to go up against him, what would you suggest?"

"Kick him in the nuts and steal his funny hat?" Shisui smiles at him cheerfully. "Oh wait. You meant an honorable way to defeat him. Only thing I could think of is to launch your attacks so quickly that he doesn't have time to do anything, but dodge." Rufus was at his core a strategist. "He's brilliant, but if he's reduced to dodging out of instinct, then his fancy spellwork means nothing." As smart as he was, he needed time to come up with solutions...however little time that might be.

"A fair point." Well, Itachi couldn't say that he was particularly adverse to employing such underhanded methods against Rufus. The man certainly deserved it. But it would reflect badly on Blue Pegasus if he resorted to such measures. Hm…perhaps he could work to capture him in a genjutsu? After all, that mask of his did nothing to protect the eyes, and Itachi could take full advantage of that.

In any case, things were not looking good. Fairy Tail had barely earned themselves a point between their two teams, and Blue Pegasus was trailing with the four points that they'd earned from Eve's participation, out of a possible ten.

A huge gust of wind picks up in the arena, and there's a shrill yelp as Ren's opponent from Mermaid Heel ends up face down in the dirt. Itachi blinks at the sight. "It seems that we'll be ending the day with fourteen points." And out of a possible twenty, that was fairly decent.

Sasuke shakes his head. Well he was glad that they were now performing decently in the rankings. "He'll never let us hear the end of this." He knew Ren. He could crow worse than a rooster sometimes. "But that's good news at least. We didn't do too poorly on the first day."

"We did well, it's true." Fairy Tail, on the other hand, had not. And Itachi would rather not see this overwhelming loss cripple them. Though the expression on Gray's face as he left the arena made him worry. "I suppose that Fairy Tail will now have a chance to earn the points that were denied them in the first battle of the day."

Well, until the first of their match-ups was chosen.

"They will bounce back." Shisui sighs, feeling badly for them as well. "They have nowhere to go, but up." That much was true. "Though perhaps we should also focus on Raven Tail. Sabertooth has skill, much as I'm loathed to admit it." Raven Tail on the other hand, well they got by mostly on dirty tricks. "They're going to make it to the finals. That doesn't have to be the case for PuddingHead though."

"Maybe, but it looks like the problems are staring sooner instead of later. So I doubt that we would have time for any dirty tricks of our own." Hibiki appears on the balcony with Ren, after having escorted Eve to the infirmary. "Take a look at the next match." He glares down at the arena floor as two female wizards take the field. Lucy Heartfilia, Fairy Tail's sweetheart and Celestial Wizard…and Flare Corona of Raven Tail.

Sasuke's eyes narrow. "Raven Tail." Again? Somehow he doubted Pudding was the only Raven who would be gunning for a Fairy. "I really don't like this." Was it just a coincidence?

"I can't say that I care for it either." This was going to be vicious. "Though I imagine Lucy will be eager for some payback." Though he was having a hard time imagining the blonde going up against the rather psychotic looking red head. "I hope that she gets it." Shisui sincerely did. What happened to Gray hadn't been fair. That much was obvious.

Itachi had a cold feeling racing up his spine. He wasn't entirely sure what was going to go wrong as the two lady wizards began their duel, Flare's hair growing and expanding, and catching on fire, and Lucy summoning her spirits, but he knew that something was going to go terribly wrong. And it was not going to be pretty.

Hibiki, on the other hand, watches the battle that quickly gains momentum with admiring eyes as Lucy summons the likes of Taurus and Scorpio, and both at once. "She's gotten a lot stronger, it seems. She sure couldn't do that before."

"You're right." Though there was something about Flare's movements that struck Shisui as off. "She's doing well." And Flare was getting fed up.

"I've heard of pulling each other's hair in a fight before, but this is crazy." Sasuke shakes his head as he watches Flare actually use her hair as a weapon. "Looks like Lucy might have this one though." He hoped that was the case. Fairy Tail desperately needed the points to improve morale.

Hibiki wasn't surprised to see Cancer coming into the mix to deal with some of those outrageous crimson locks, but he was surprised to see Lucy opening so many zodiac gates either at once, or one right after another. It should have exhausted her quickly, but…well, obviously something had changed.

Something, including the battle as Lucy began dodging the hair coming from the ground frantically, hopping here and there like a little grasshopper. Her boots were burned, her feet lightly so, but her tenacity was admirable as she continued to fight on, equipping herself with a whip that glittered with powerful magic, catching Flare in her grasp just as Flare did the same, and sending the two of them tumbling and rolling across the battlefield, trying to force the other to submit.

Sasuke blinks as the fight now more closely resembled a wrestling match than a magical battle. "They're too evenly matched." This was going to be a battle of endurance, it seemed.

"Something will give." Shisui watches the field with cautious eyes. "Stalemates can't last forever." Sooner or later, someone would gain an edge and use that to their advantage. And that person would be the victor.

As the two fought on, Itachi's eyes narrow at the sight of Flare driving her hair into the ground. The tactic hadn't worked well before, but driving only a single piece wouldn't be of much help in a fight like this. So just what was she planning? A trap? But she'd already done that before. So why…?

Whatever it was, it wasn't good, and Itachi's glare hardens as the next fifteen seconds devolve from a wrestling match, into a brutal beating more befitting of a torture dungeon. Flare strung Lucy up, and for reasons he couldn't fathom, Lucy didn't seem to be fighting back. "Something is very wrong."

"They need to call this match!" Whatever it was, Shisui couldn't baer it. "This isn't a fight. This is barbaric." If Lucy couldn't win, why hadn't she conceded. Was it pride? She wasn't going to get points for Fairy Tail by enduring the beating, so why was she?

Sasuke watches in horror as the friendly blonde was struck again and again. Flare seemed to be getting some sort of sadistic glee from delivering the cruel beating. "It doesn't make sense. They were evenly matched only a moment ago." Their differences in skill couldn't have changed that much and he doubted Lucy's stamina had just disappeared in the blink of an eye. Lucy wasn't even making an attempt to shield herself. "What's going on?!"

Itachi's Sharingan activates, and he finds himself biting his lip as he reads the words on Lucy's lips before her mouth is covered by Flare's hair. "She won't let her give up. Flare is preventing Lucy from withdrawing."

"That explains a lot." Shisui's lips curl in disgust. "This is a grudge match. Why would she prevent an easy win? She's going to get the same amount of points either way." This was about sadism. Plain and simple.

Sasuke feels himself twitch. "What they did to Gray was bad enough." That was just fighting dirty. "But at least it wasn't torture. Why are the judges allowing this?!"

"Because the judges aren't in control of when the match starts or ends. That's up to the referee, and the organizers." Never before had Hibiki so abhorred the ambiguity of the rules of this tournament. "And even they have to abide by the rules that they set down." They were so ambiguous, because wizards could take far more punishment than civilians, and often enough, they were famous for their come from behind wins. That's why the rules prevented a match being ended at the first sign of distress. After all, a wizard could come back from almost anything.

Still, there was clearly something wrong as Lucy continued to take a relentless beating, her body not breaking, as surprising as it was. But her fear escalating as Flare threatens to brand Lucy with a Raven Tail emblem right over her Fairy Tail guild mark.

Even more surprising, was Natsu's voice ringing loud and clear across the arena, and from nowhere near his team's gallery. "YOU'RE IN THE CLEAR LUCY!"

In the clear. That meant that something really HAD gone wrong. Itachi's fists clench, but he remains composed and calm, if seething with anger on the inside. "It seems that the dirty tricks have continued."

"Threatening her emblem like that was unforgivable." Sasuke hisses in revulsion. Forget about facing Gray, Flare was the one who deserved the the beating. "Though it looks like Natsu did...something." Maybe, the tide of the match was about to change.

Shisui nods in agreement. It did appear that way. "Yes, he sounds rather confident." Though what the pink haired Dragon Slayer had done, he wasn't certain. Obviously, Flare had used some sort of dirty trick to keep Lucy from fighting back, but he couldn't figure out what for the life of him. "And those rules need to be revisited. This is a competition, not a war." He couldn't keep his contempt for the organizers out of his voice upon hearing that little gem.

"It's Raven Tail, which means that it IS a war." Ren stares down at the arena, before flicking his eyes over to Lamia Scale, finding similarly disgusted expressions there as well. "From what I hear, they've been gunning for Fairy Tail for a decade, at least."

As Lucy frees herself, Hibiki smiles. "And Fairy Tail knows that if this does blow up, that us and Lamia will have their backs. No questions asked." After all, Fairy Tail had saved their asses during the Nirvana incident, it was only right to keep returning the favor.

Especially if it involved Lucy summoning Gemini as a duplicate of herself, clad only in a towel.

Shisui blinks at that. "I know that the women of this place aren't bashful about displaying their lovely feminine charms, but that is a new one." He couldn't remember anyone fighting in a towel before. It did flatter her though.

"..." Sasuke was speechless. "Maybe, it's some sort of distraction technique?"

After gawking for a few moments, Hibiki's eyes widen at the patterns of the swirling magic. "Now when did she master THAT?"

Itachi raises an eyebrow at the sight, glancing at Hibiki. "I presume that you're referring to whatever spell she is planning to cast with the help of that copy of herself?"

The Archive wizard nods. "That's Gemini, one of her Celestial Spirits. It can turn into anyone who has equal or less magic power than she does." And it was genius, pure genius. "She's using them to boost her own magic power to cast Hyper Magic." Proven, by the dazzling show of lights that was beginning to expand across the arena, bathing everything in the glow of beautifully luminescent planets and stars.

It was very pretty, Sasuke decides. "Lets hope that it works." He watches the display equally mesmerized as Shisui.

But as soon as it had begun, it was over, the lights snuffed out as quickly as they had come into existence, the level of magic power in the arena dropping to nothing. And Lucy fell to the ground, exhaustion and shock on her face as the crowd began to boo her, just as they had done for Gray.

Hibiki's eyes narrow, uncommon to the playboy antics he usually showed. "Something…or someone drained her magic." It dropped far too quickly for the spell to fail otherwise.

Sasuke was seriously beginning to wonder just how stupid this audience was. "They actually think her spell just gave out?" Idiots. He sighs as he watches Lucy with the same worried eyes that Shisui was.

"Looks like." Ren glares at the audience, not at all pleased with their behavior. He much preferred their clients. At least sometimes they got people who weren't dumb as doornails.

As the match is called, Itachi takes note of where Flare's eyes wander. "I suspect that it was one of her teammates who is the culprit for this impossible turn of events." Because based on the magic power he'd felt from the spell, it shouldn't have failed like that. It should have been utterly devastating, more than enough to win Lucy the match.

"Maybe that's why Lucy stopped fighting suddenly." Shisui's eyes follow Itachi's. "There was a threat of a power suck and Natsu only thought they had it handled?" Sasuke frowns and nods in agreement.

"No, if that was it, then she would have just resorted to her whip." Hibiki didn't think it was nearly so simple.

"I agree." Fairy Tail was famous for their tenacity, and they certainly proved that today, even if they weren't earning points. But Itachi also suspected that there was far more going on. For example…why had Natsu left the gallery and gone into the stands? "If it was a threat to Lucy herself, it would have been easier to remain in the gallery, wouldn't it?"

Shisui goes silent for a moment as he considers it. "Yes, it would have." So perhaps, it hadn't been the blonde who had been threatened, after all.

"She had a backup for a power suck and she didn't use it." Sasuke frowns at that piece of information. "There has to be a reason why she didn't."

"No…she looked shocked, as though she didn't expect the spell to fail." Itachi's eyes stay fixed on the Raven as she hurries from the field. "I believe that another member of Raven Tail acted without her knowledge when her first plan failed."

"That would make sense." But Hibiki still didn't like this. "I'll look into it. I've been taking readings ever since the first competition started. I should have enough data by the end of the battles to make a proper analysis."

Readings might be helpful, they might at least tell them what the hell was going on here. "Thank you, Hibiki." Shisui knew that short of beating the answers out of Raven Tail, it was their best shot of figuring out what really happened. "Do you think Fairy Tail even realizes why Lucy's spell failed?" Obviously, they weren't going to get answers out of Raven Tail. "She was stunned, but the Fairies might have figured it out by now."

"Probably, I suppose the fastest way to find out would be to ask them." There was just one problem that Hibiki could see. "But that'll have to wait, their next match is starting." And this time, it was one of their S-Class, going up against a Wizard Saint. But at least this time, there wouldn't be any foul play. Not from Lamia Scale, anyway.

* * *

One point between both their teams at the end of the first day. They were losing rather spectacularly thanks to a bad combination of talented opponents, and Raven Tail's foul play. And…some interference from Crime Sorciere when their own Wizard Saint had decided to do something foolish. Today was just not their day. But, as Natsu had said, they could only go up from here, and their plans were to take the games by storm with the most epic comeback in Fairy Tail history.

At least…that was the plan. Though Erza wasn't entirely sure how well that would go over. Morale was dangerously low, though recovering, thanks to Natsu's antics. They were also on the warpath, after what Raven Tail did to Lucy and Wendy. And they couldn't PROVE it, which meant that they couldn't get Raven Tail disqualified or banned from the games. Not that she expected any less of a dark guild. Whatever their legal status was, it didn't change the fact that Raven Tail was no Light Guild.

Still, it was good to unwind at the end of a very stressful day. Though Cana was taking that approach rather liberally as Erza watcher her down yet another barrel of alcohol. It was rather incredible how much that woman could drink without falling over. Or without dying. Or exploding from having too much liquid in her body. There must have been some kind of black hole in her stomach, which perhaps explained her tolerance, similar to Natsu's stomach for food.

Sighing, the Queen of the Fairies turns to her cake, and her friend. After all, there was no wrong time for cake. "It seems that we have our work cut out for us." And luckily, away from home, Mira didn't have to work the bar, leaving her free to both compete and socialize.

"That's true." Mira nods her head in acknowledgment. "Still, we'll manage." After all, they had survived a dragon attack on Tenrou Island. "Once we figure out what to do about Raven Tail and get our momentum, I imagine we'll catch up quickly." She smiles at her, proving why she was a model. That smile was infectious. "You'll see!"

"Yes…Raven Tail…" That was their biggest problem, apart from Sabertooth. But what to do about them, Erza didn't know. And Wendy was still recovering from being attacked, Lucy was banged up, but otherwise alright, and Gray was…sulking a little, but otherwise engaging in Natsu's antics for the evening. "They're targeting us, hitting us one at a time, trying to crush us before we have a chance to build up momentum." And if they weren't careful, it might just work.

"I'm more worried about Gray and Natsu doing something reckless like trying to confront them out of the arena than anything else." Mira sighs and winces as she imagines how that would go down. "And getting us disqualified."

"It's possible, but I don't think they'd actually do it." Cana chugs down another mug of God only knows what kind of alcohol. "They'd want to beat Raven Tail where everyone could see them."

"I agree." Erza could certainly see the two of them throwing down with Raven Tail right in the middle of the arena, battle or no battle. "Natsu especially enjoys putting on a show." Their pink-haired dragon slayer loved getting attention, which was the entire reason for his challenging the S-Class wizards all the time. "But Gray can be prone to peacocking as well, especially if Natsu's involved." Those two had so much tension that you wouldn't be able to hack through it, eve with an axe.

"We should just get them both drunk and lock them in a room." Cana nods as if this was the answer to well everything. "Let them peacock with each other until its time for the matches." It would be a lot easier than waiting for one of them to make a move.

Mira laughs and shakes her head at that suggestion. "They'd just blow up the room." Which was true. A Dragon Slayer and someone's with Gray's abilities would definitely destroy the room before any real progress was made.

"True." Erza could imagine the chaos that would ensue if those two got locked in a room together. "Maybe if we tied one of them up…then put them in a room together?"

Mira gins at that. "Hmm. That might work, if we gag Natsu though." Otherwise he might just burn the rope.

"Better to tie up Gray." Lucy walks over, smirking at the conversation. "Sorry, I overheard, and whatever you're planning, I want in. But if you think that Natsu isn't going to burn through ropes, wherever you tie them, you're crazy." She grins a little wider. "We've tied up Gray before, though. That's doable."

"She makes us sound so sinister." Cana laughs as she takes another gulp of her drink. "Though that's true. It'd be difficult to tie up Natsu."

"Indeed it would." Gray, on the other hand, was another matter entirely. Though Erza was confident that they could come up with some sort of plan soon enough. Perhaps even by the end of the games. Mira wasn't the only Fairy who could engage in some matchmaking.

Mira nods as she smiles mischievously at them. "Well speaking of tying people up, the Blue Pegasus Boys really grew up! All of them." After all, Eve might look much younger than he was, but he was twenty-three, and at eighteen, Sasuke was the youngest of the lot.

"Yeah…they sure did!" Lucy beams brightly. "They all got so big and tall. It's hard to believe that they all used to be so much smaller!"

"Yes…it's quite hard to believe." After all, the youngest of them used to be Wendy's age. It was a rather astonishing transformation, in Erza's eyes. "But exactly why would that merit tying them up?" And eyebrow rises as the question is asked.

Cana and Mira both give her a rather incredulous look. Though it was Mira who got over her disbelief first. "You seriously have to ask me that?" She laughs at her friend and smiles teasingly. "You're the one who likes the naughty books most. They are pretty cute." Cana nods as she pours herself another glass.

Oh boy, so that was their game… Erza shakes her head, snorting softly. "And just which of them has caught your interest, Mira?" It was hard to tell, after all, there were many attractive young men in Blue Pegasus, and Mira might be the guild gossip, but she could keep her cards close if she was inclined to.

"Oh I was talking in general." Mira laughs softly. It would be almost impossible to choose. "They're all so cute. It's hard to pick just one. Besides, this is just for fun." She winks at her friend. "I wasn't actually planning on doing it."

Cana laughs as she knocks another shot back, making the white haired beauty grow more than a little concerned. "I have no problem picking though. If one of them sticks out more than the others." Alcohol could make a person rather bold sometimes. "I didn't get that new blue bikini for nothing."

"Jeez, Cana, are you planning on sleeping your way through Blue Pegasus?" Lucy could barely hold in her own laughter. "Because at the rate you're drinking, it might just happen!" And considering what flirts they could be, and how…inviting they were, she doubted that they would protest someone as pretty as Cana coming on to them.

"Nah." She shakes her head. "If you find a good stallion, you only need one." The brunette laughs at her own pun. A clear sign she was probably highly intoxicated.

Mira shakes her head in amusement. "Well just as long as no one touches Gray, I think we're all safe." Juvia scared even Mira. "Remember what happened to Lucy that one time!" Juvia was a very nice girl until she suspected someone else had a thing for the ice wizard.

Lucy shivers at the memory. "Don't remind me. I NEVER want to go through that again." Though that did beg a different question. "What do you think would happen to Juvia if she attacked Natsu for 'touching' Gray?"

"Nothing good." Erza knew Natsu's temper and competitive spirit well. And when water hit a raging hot fire, you got a lot of steam, and no weakening of the fire. "I'm sure that there will be a need to break up quite the incident if that were to occur."

Cana gulps at the thought. "I think I would need quite a few more shots to be able to deal with that." It was just too terrifying to contemplate.

Mira nods at that. "Speaking of shots, this is the first time Itachi and Sasuke are competing. If it was Shisui, we could look up what he did in the past." The model sighs. "Though I doubt they're going to be anywhere near as sadistic as Raven Tail or as cutthroat as Sabertooth."

"That's true…" And Erza hadn't personally seen very much of their abilities, beyond their hand to hand combat. And even then, that was many years ago. "Though I do look forward to seeing what they're both capable of. I'm sure that they've improved greatly."

"Suppose if worst comes to worse, Erza could just flash them some of the armor from her 'special collection' and that would be that." Cana laughs. She could just imagine the look on the faces of the crowd. "Lucy's towel seemed to get their attention well enough."

Lucy flushes bright red. "That was only because I summoned Gemini right after a shower! I didn't mean to…" To nearly flash the entire crowd the assets she was so proud of.

Well, Lucy's embarrassment aside, that was certainly an interesting idea. Erza smirks at the thought of subduing one of them that way. "I believe that I have several pieces that would do the job. Though I believe that I will leave the towel to Lucy."

"I told you, that was Gemini!" Not that it mattered, because when copying her, Gemini put all of Lucy's body on display, right down to the freckles and birthmarks.

Mira nods at Lucy sympathetically. "We know. I'm sorry, but it was still funny." That was one way to get the crowd's attention. "Do you think maybe that will improve our reputation with the crowd slightly? She tilts her head thoughtfully.

"Not likely…" The red fades from Lucy's cheeks. "If it was that easy, they wouldn't have…" They wouldn't have booed her so much, wouldn't have thrown things at her, hurled insults, kicked her when she was down, after she'd failed…

"Lucy…" Erza sighs, placing a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "You did us proud. It's not your fault that Raven Tail broke the rules."

Cana sighs and hugs Lucy. "Cheer up. You'll get the psychotic tomato later." She smiles at her reassuringly. "The competition has only just started."

"Yeah, we'll get them." Lucy nods, pumping her fists in the air, a gesture very reminiscent of Natsu. "Just you wait and see. We'll beat Raven Tail, Sabertooth, and we're gonna take first place this year!"

"That's the spirit." Mira smiles at her friend. "Well I guess all we can do is get some rest and prepare for day two!"

"That's right." Polishing off her cake, Erza smiles out at the rest of their guild, half of them passed out around the bar, the other half either nodding off, or trying to start a drunken ruckus. Despite their failure today, they weren't going to give up, and they could only go up from here.


	10. Chapter 10

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Alright, for those of you who watch Fairy Tail, you'll notice that Natsu's speech comes directly from episode 161. I really wanted to include it because it's just such an awesome speech. Also, chapter 10 and 11 were originally one chapter, but we just ended up with so many words that I had to split them, otherwise we would have ended up with…like a ten thousand word chapter. Which means, of course, that there's crack, and lots of it. And keep in mind, this is a RACE, so no, Sasuke isn't going to Kirin anyone (yet). Overkill is what we have Fairy Tail for. Also, Itachi makes dirty jokes (Shisui is rubbing off on him).

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you all enjoy this chapter and Celestia summed it up nicely. Again, we own nothing and make no profit off of this story.

Chapter 10

Shisui shakes his head. "This time we only know the event is called Chariot. I presume that speed is somehow involved." The events could be strange. They'd only get names of them and then you had to give your best guess as to the nature of the event and someone would either step up or be shoved up to the plate.

"I'll go." Sasuke nods. He could handle a contest based on speed easily. "They'll underestimate because I'm new. Ren is too well known." He'd more likely be a target, but the youngest Uchiha could see that his rival was chomping at the bit to compete and for good reason. This was an event that Ren could probably place well in, if not outright win.

Well, Ren wasn't all that happy to be shoved aside by someone eight years his junior, but maybe Sasuke had a point. Besides, he'd fought only yesterday. "Fine, but make sure to place as high as you can." He'd like Blue Pegasus to walk away with at least ten more points today.

As if he was going to do anything else. The only ones Sasuke was really worried about were Sabertooth and Fairy Tail. "I'll place well. It's my first event." He glances at Shisui. "As Shisui always says, first impressions are very important." Sabertooth because they were cutthroat competitors. Fairy Tail because they were out for blood (well points) and after Raven Tail's cheating, Sasuke couldn't blame them.

"That's right." Shisui laughs softly at that. "He's definitely a Pegasus." The eldest Uchiha seems to find great amusement in Sasuke's response as he looks at Itachi with a twinkle in his eye, knowing the other man was bound to say something.

Itachi smirks. "Of course he is, and I expect he'll make a wonderful impression, both on the audience, and Fairies alike." After all, it had been quite some time since they'd seen each other. "Just be sure not to prove just HOW much like a Pegasus you are. I doubt that Sorcerer Weekly is only after information concerning me."

"Itachi, do you want me to smack you?" Kunai jokes?! Really?! "Bob, do you think the judges would hold it against me if I smacked Itachi for being an idiot?" He rolls his eyes. "It's called Chariot. I doubt stripping is involved." And that brought to mind way too many awkward images, most of which involved Gray. That was one event Raven Tail couldn't take from Fairy Tail, he thought as he fought the urge to shiver.

Bob smiles widely, chuckling at the sight of a smug Itachi and embarrassed Sasuke. "Oh boys, boys, be good. I'm sure that you'd do wonderfully Sasuke, but I doubt it will come to THAT." He pats Sasuke on the shoulder encouragingly. "Now use all that energy to go out there and have fun, okay?" He was going to go and sit in the stands. He'd have a better view that way.

Shisui couldn't help, but snort. "Yes, have fun but not too much fun." He chuckles. "Try not to give them THAT kind of show. That's not exactly the kind of publicity we are going for in this competition."

Sasuke rolls his eyes at Shisui and makes a rather rude gesture at his fellow Uchiha 'stallions' with his hands, before nodding at Bob. "Got it. I can do this." It had to be based on speed somehow. He could manage this. If it was actually driving, well he had flown Christina before. He could manage.

"Then I'd get down there." Hibiki grins at the sight of the arena floor, and the three dragon slayers already making their way down. "It looks like it's going to be an interesting contest."

"Interesting indeed…" Itachi has seen dragon slayers at Fairy Tail, but seeing them compete was going to be an entirely different matter. "Perhaps you should use this chance to get the measure of them."

"Oh you're going to talk about something other than measuring kunai today, Itachi?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow incredulously at him. "It's about time." And with that, he quickly joins the other competitors who were heading towards the field.

Eve tilts his head in confusion. "What's a kunai?" He didn't get it. Then again, the Uchiha 'Brothers' (even if Shisui was their cousin, they still acted like brothers) still spoke in funny ways sometimes. It seemed that their native tongues were still deeply ingrained in their psyches, even after all these years.

"A double-edged bladed weapon about the size of an outstretched hand." Hibiki brings up a few pictures of Sasuke wielding kunai with his Archive. "It's not the most dangerous weapon, but it's easy to conceal. Like another kind of dagger."

"Maybe, it can be used to refer to multiple things." Eve tilts head, considering it. "I'm pretty sure that's not what Sasuke meant in this context." Shisui just laughs and shakes his head as Sasuke joins the others to leave for the starting line.

After being transported to the starting line, the competition is announced, and the three dragon slayers all begin looking rather green at the prospect of racing on moving carts. Vehicles, you had to be kidding. It was like some kind of sadistic torture specifically designed to cause them nothing but upchucking.

Sasuke looks at them in confusion. He didn't get it. The premise was rather simple. Don't touch the ground, stay on the vehicles and keep moving till you got to the finish line. This was much easier than Hidden in theory. So why did they all look as though they were about to be sick?

The referee, a tiny man in a striped costume and pumpkin mask toddles towards the competitors, waving a flag. "Are you ready!?"

Natsu resists the urge to puke as he nods. "Yeah. Just peachy!" Like hell. Just imagining them moving was making him sick. Still, as stubborn as he was, he was quick to beat Gajeel and Sting to getting on the not yet moving deathtraps.

"Ready." Sasuke nods. He almost felt bad for Sting, but he definitely felt bad for Fairy Tail's people. Not that that would stop him though. He was going to place high, no matter what happened with the other contestants.

The signal flare goes off, and as the carts being to move, the eight contests take off down the moving platforms at varying speeds, making for the arena again. And leading the race were Kurohebi of Raven Tail and Sasuke. Trailing in the middle were Risley of Mermaid Heel, Yuka of Lamia Scale, and Bacchus of Quatro Cerberus.

This seemed too easy. No one was even using magic yet. Three of the contestants were barely moving at all. Which meant someone was likely about to fire off a spell. "Fireball Jutsu!" So he'd make the first move, flipping back through the air from his current platform to the next, twisting around the launch his attack.

He wasn't trying to hit them, but to make them fall back or have to dodge the flames. Idly he wondered, if the mermaid would be more vulnerable to fire or if that was just the name of their guild and had no reflection on her abilities.

As the fire erupts from the Uchiha's mouth, it flies back behind him as he continues to race along the platforms. Unfortunately, the Raven dodges the attack with a demonstration of incredible flexibility, bending down to almost lie flat on the boards as it races towards the pack, forcing Risley to dodge as it slams against Yuka's anti-magic barrier and disperses.

Yuka smirks as his short legs carry him across another platform. "You'll have to do much better than that." Though he was starting to regret volunteering for this even. He wasn't nearly the fastest person in their guild. In fact, short of Toby, he was pretty sure that he was the slowest on the team.

Damn. The freaky looking one was as flexible as a Hyuga, it seemed. well that was fine, he didn't have to hit him. "Well I don't have to hit them." He just had to slow them down. "Requip! Unending Night!" That magic certainly came in handy. It was much easier than carrying about a bunch of weapons.

Though in this case, it was less of a weapon than a division tactic. "I'll have to thank Shisui for this later." He mutters as he hurls the smoke bomb back at the others. It hits the nearest platform and disperses a large cloud of black smoke, black like the night sky.

Coughing ensues as the cloud of smoke engulfs three whole platforms. One of those platforms holding one extremely hung over wizard. "Ugh, why do you gotta make so much noise? Can't you leave a man to work off last night's drinks in peace?" Loved drinking, hated the hangovers. Well, he had one solution to that.

And concealed completely by the slowly thinning cloud of smoke, Bacchus brings his foot down on his platform, breaking it clean in half and slowing the movement of the train of them considerably as he vertically t-bones them, startling Yuka, Risley, and the Raven alike, before taking off towards the front of the race and the finish line, with only one wizard in his way.

Sasuke was stunned for a second or two, but those were precious seconds. seconds that could determine the race. "You're strong, I'll give you that." This guy had to be some kind of taijutsu specialist. If Sasuke stopped to use a jutsu or any form of magic, he'd lose. This was now down to raw speed and agility.

"Yeah, gotta admit, you're a fast kid." Bacchus grins, keeping pace with Sasuke easily, before cringing again at the throbbing of his head. "That's wild…gets my soul all shaken and stirred!" He chuckles, wild gleam in his eyes. "Come on, you and me kid, one on one. First one to the finish line."

Beating him with speed was going to be a gamble at best. "Glad to hear it, but I'm not a kid." Though if there was one thing, Sasuke understood it was momentum. A jump would be faster than running. So he summons his chakra in his feet much like walking on water or climbing up a tree with it, like Itachi and Shisui had taught him, and takes a flying leap off of one of the broken vehicles, before rolling onto the finish line.

Bacchus blinks as Sasuke rolls across the finish line, following not two seconds behind him, sliding his way to a stop on the other side of the finish line. "Now that's wild!" The two of the arrive to thunderous applause, the emblems of Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus flashing in first and second place. "Is Blue Pegasus tryin' to teach y'all how to fly?"

"Y-Yeah. I guess you could say that." Wild and he was feeling more than a little dizzy. "Hell of a race." Pegasus wasn't, but...well he'd go with it. Building up guild mystique was important according to Hibiki and Eve, so yeah. "Are the others okay?" He glances back to see if Natsu, Sting, and Gajeel finished or not. They had been looking rather sickly earlier.

The viewing lacrimas project scenes of Risley and Yuka plodding steadily along, trying to slow each other down with their magic, as Kurohebi crosses the finish line in third, before turning on the three dragon slayer who are struggling to move from one platform to the next. And all three of them clearly appear to be on the verge of throwing up.

Bacchus stares at the three dragon slayers, before shaking his head. "That is so not wild…"

"Something's seriously wrong with them." He would have suspected food poisoning if he didn't know one very important fact. They were all Dragon Slayers. Sting wasn't exactly shy about broadcasting that fact, after all. "Natsu and Gajeel are likely too stubborn to quit. Not sure about Sting though." From what he had heard, the blond was a arrogant showboat though. So he probably wouldn't.

Not that Sasuke was the most modest person by any means, but Sabertooth took the strutting thing to a completely different level. He and Itachi often joked they should change their name to the Peacock Guild because they really did love to show off like a bunch of peacocks.

As the lacrimas zoom in further, the microphones begin to pick up bits and pieces of their conversation. Well, if it could be called a conversation when all three of them were struggling not to puke.

Sting looks the least green, though, and his suspicious glares falls squarely on Natsu. "I don't get it. Can you explain something to me?" The question garners the attention of both hobbling dragon slayers as Sting stops in his tracks. "Why'd you bother entering the tournament?"

"Seriously. I mean, you're nothing like the Fairy Tail I knew growin' up. You're obsessed with how tough you are, and what the rest of the world thinks of you." One of the lacrimas zooms in on Sting's face as he frowns. "What happened to the Fairy Tail of my childhood? The guild that did whatever the hell it wanted, whenever it wanted? They never cared what anyone else said or thought of them!"

Sasuke found that ironic coming from a Tiger. That guild was obsessive about being first in everything. Though he knew it was a matter of pride for Fairy Tail, he sensed what he called a Natsu Speech coming on. Something about friendship, never giving up. Yada yada. Sasuke wasn't really good at declarations like that, but they were kinda Natsu's thing.

"The reason we're here…" The air goes still for a moment, and then, despite his sickness, Natsu's voice rings out loud and clear. "Is for our friends!" It was as simple as that. "The ones who waited for us…for all the years we were gone. Who fought through the pain, and the heartache!" He crawls another step, not nearly ready to give up. Not now, not ever! "They were humiliated, but even so, they stayed strong, and they kept our guild together!"

Reduced to crawling, Natsu reaches for the next platform as they slowly move back towards the arena. "We're doing this for all of them! And we're gonna make sure everyone here knows…the Fairy Tail guild never gave up! Not even for an instant!" They didn't even know the meaning of the words. Forgot them as soon as they had the mark stamped on them. "So there's no way I'm gonna give up now!"

Sting's face hardens, and he shakes his head disbelievingly as he takes a step back, then another, and another, raising his hand in withdrawal as he jumps off the platforms, finally relieving most of his motion sickness, though still looking rather unsteady as his feet touch solid ground.

Sasuke sighs and nods at Natsu in acknowledgment, though the dragon slayer didn't see it. "I"m beginning to feel a bit guilty about teasing Gray." Even if everything he had said was true, Fairy Tail had been through a lot.

The Natsu Speech seemed to have worked its magic though. "They're lapping that up." He blinks in confusion. The crowd seemed to be in the middle of doing a one-eighty. Apparently, touched by the speech. Not to mention the Terou Team, who were smiling in their galleries and in the stands, along with the rest of Fairy Tail who were bawling loudly.

"Wait. He withdrew." Sasuke blinks again. He almost hadn't noticed Sting withdrawing because of the speech. "Is he going to get kicked out of that guild?" Sabertooth had a habit of kicking out anyone who didn't win matches and Sting had just given up.

"I doubt it." Yuka walks over, having just crossed the finish line with Risley. "He's one of their dragon slayers, their powerhouses, and one of their most popular wizards. I doubt they'd kick someone like him out over something like this. They'd probably lose their other dragon slayer as well." From what Yuka had seen, those two were an inseparable team. "But I do feel bad for them. And it confirms my suspicions perfectly, I used to think that motion sickness was only Natsu's weakness."

"That and he's easily distracted." Mostly by a stripping Gray, but Sasuke digressed. "Damn. That's not good news for Fairy Tail though." He didn't care if someone exploited Sabertooth's Dragon Slayers' Weaknesses, but Natsu and Gareel were another story. "Anyone with half an ounce of logic can figure out what happened to them and why and now their weakness was exposed this early on." And they were still at the bottom of the pack to boot!

Yuka sweatdrops. "Well, it's not like they can really hide it. They just have to avoid vehicles from now on." Though that did beg the question of why they entered a contest that had the name of such a vehicle, but he digressed. "And Natsu isn't quite as easily distracted as you think he is."

A painful smirk quirks Yuka's lips. "The first time I fought Natsu, the idiot was so focused on beating me, and stubborn enough to keep trying, that he shove his whole upper body inside one of my anti-magic barriers, then shot flames out of his elbow to punch me in the face." Now that had really hurt. "He was so focused that he didn't even feel the pain of having his head shoved into a pocket of warped space."

"Natsu is weird." Honestly, Sasuke had no idea what to say to the elbow thing other than it freaked him out. "Fire out of his elbow? Nevermind. I don't want to know." Wendy was definitely still his favorite Dragon Slayer. As far as he knew, she didn't do weird stuff like that.

Having withdrawn from the race, Sting walks into the arena on foot, and not to a very happy crowd as he takes his place among the contestants, Sabertooth's emblem flashing for eighth place. And he was quiet, unusually so. And the frown was a stark contrast to his usually arrogant smirk.

Sting was looking markedly less smug. Sasuke didn't really have much fondness for the man, but that was rotten luck. That hadn't been fair to him. It was a cheap win when three of the contestants had barely been able to move.

The blond dragon slayer catches Sasuke looking at him, sapphire orbs narrowing at the raven. "And what do you want?"

For some reason, the dragon slayers other than Wendy tended to bring out his less than flattering traits. "Nothing. More like what do you want? Do you need a bucket?" Like his cockiness and his need to trashtalk. He had been getting a bit better at it, but whatever. The guy was practically glaring at him just for looking at him, this guy was asking for it. "You looked like you were going to throw up out there."

The dragon slayer twitches. "Lucky for you, otherwise you would'a gotten second, at best." It was just bad luck that him entering the competition part involved moving vehicles. "Besides, Sabertooth is just gonna keep racking up the points from here on out."

"Don't get me wrong, I still would have won. I just would have preferred not to get the handicap." Yeah. He was a cocky son of a bitch. "It's not really as much of a challenge when three people got fucked over by biology and couldn't really compete."

Sting's glare is venomous as he glares at the Pegasus. "You're pretty cocky for a member of the Pretty Boy guild. Were you hoping for some kind of beauty contest?"

"Look, Chariot was obviously rigged against you from the beginning, but do you really want to forfeit something like that automatically?" He rolls his eyes. "Beauty's only skin deep. I get that you might feel a bit self conscious standing next to Rogue all day, but get over it. I can't help it if my guild is better looking than yours."

The pretty boy guild. He hated that nickname. "Oh and our guild doesn't just have men. Jenny would knock you off your block." Mostly because she'd probably distract an idiot like Sting with her impressive cleavage, but Jenny was a lot tougher than she looked.

Sting snorts. "I'd like to see her try." Besides, he had even more fans than Rogue, he was as attractive as any of the guys in Blue Pegasus. And he didn't need to look like a girl in order to pull it off. "Rigged or not, there's no one in your guild who could beat me or Rogue in battle." Of that, he was certain. "Dragon slayers are in a whole other league than normal wizards." And that gets him more than a few dirty looks from the other competitors.

"You're right. dragon slayers are special." He knew that Natsu ate flames and Gajeel ate metal, but honestly they were all so damn arrogant. Save for Wendy. Which reminded him, well this should piss him off. "In a few years when Raven Tail isn't cheating, you should remember that when Wendy knocks you on your ass. In the meantime though, let's see if that pedigree helps you out more later on. Looks like it's liability at the moment to me." Sasuke rolls his eyes as he walks off, figuring Natsu and Gajeel would be finishing soon.

Probably nothing would piss Sting off more than someone turning their back on him in the middle of a conversation. Pft. Dragon Slayers and their strutting. He was an Uchiha. He might not eat elements, but he damn sure could hold his own in a fight and Sting would find that out later!

"Tch, coward…" Sting stalks off toward the hallways, his presence no longer required on the arena floor. After all, the contest would be over in just a couple of minutes. Once those sad excuses for dragon slayers crawled across the finish line. And once again, he was questioning why he'd ever looked up to Natsu in the first place.

Not long after, Natsu and Gajeel drag themselves off of the moving platforms, collapsing over the finish line to supportive applause in sixth and seventh places, bringing both of their teams up to two points each, tied…for last place. But the day was not yet over, and Fairy Tail still had two chances to redeem itself.

Chances that would come in the form of the Strauss siblings.

* * *

The list of people that he wanted to hit was growing by the minute, Sasuke thinks to himself in disgust. "I can't believe he actually did that." Next up on the list was Bacchus and Sasuke had thought that he was an good sport at the Chariot Event. Ha! "The idiot actually let all of Fiore know that he needs to blackmail women into sleeping with him." Unbelievable!

Well maybe, blackmail technically wasn't accurate. Though if Elfman lost supposedly the sisters were going to spend the night with him. Sasuke was eighteen. He was more than old enough to know EXACTLY what that meant and so was most of the crowd.

"I imagine that Bob and Makarov are going to give Bacchus quite the important lesson on chivalry." Shisui shakes his head. "I can't believe he did that either.

"Or perhaps Goldmine." After all, the master of Quatro Cerberus was old friends with Makarov. Itachi figured that if Goldmine didn't discipline his wizard, at least someone else would get the chance.

Sasuke didn't know what was more galling. The fact that Bacchus made that bet with a straight face to the Strauss sisters' brother or that Elfman agreed to it. And perhaps most importantly, why Bacchus assumed that the Snowgirls would jump into his bed on Elfman's say so. He was their brother. Not their owner.

"I can't believe the judges aren't saying something about this." Shisui shakes his head. "Though I guess it is legal, if disgusting behavior." That was one way to put it.

Itachi wouldn't argue with that. "Highly uncivilized." And not a bet that he would have allowed to go through, in any case. But now, it was a moot point.

Sasuke half expected that his brother might very well march over to the Taijutsu User and smack him or something, or put him in a genjutsu, if the way he was staring at the man was any indication. Itachi wouldn't even let him look at women in swimsuits without covering his eyes until he was ten! He was going to have something to say about this, Sasuke thinks to himself as he sees Jenny and Mira take to the field.

It was to be a battle of the pin-up models.


	11. Chapter 11

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** It seems like the last chapter didn't get a notification sent out, but hopefully this one goes through, and everyone gets a chance to read about Sasuke kicking ass. This chapter is a little more…'plot'-oriented.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Sasuke is going to be awkward in his courtship attempts for awhile. Hopefully, adorably awkward though. Depending on your interpretation, this may or may not be IC as Sasuke was never shown in the series being particularly romantic for the most part. Though I do believe growing up in Earthland would definitely impact his personality in areas such as romance. So in my view at least, this type of behavior is plausibly IC for Sasuke. With that in mind, happy reading!

Chapter 11

As the two approach each other, Jenny smiles mischievously at Mira, already keeping her plan in mind. "So, Mira, I was wondering if we could bend the rules, just a little bit."

"That sounds good." Mira smiles cheerfully at her. "What'd you have in mind?" She was the picture of innocence.

"Well, I think that instead of fighting, we should just do a pose-off and let the judges score us." She was sinking right into Jenny's trap. "We're a couple of refined young ladies, so let's settle this in a civilized manner."

Oh, now that was an idea. And Mira was perfectly fine with that. After all, she posed in bikinis for Sorcerer Weekly, it wasn't that much different than posing in front of an audience. "Alright, you're on."

Perfect. Jenny waves up to the judges in the booth. "Could you set up a scoreboard for us please?" After all, with a show this exciting, she was sure that the judges would comply easily with her requests.

The head commentator, Chapati, stares at the two, smiling widely with hearts in his eyes. "Of course!" And he leans back in his chair, making the request of one of the crew. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a treat for you today! Two of Sorcerer Weekly's favorite pin-up models are here to do a pose-off!"

"Thanks a lot, Chapati!" Jenny winks and blows him a kiss, playing it right up for the crowd as the lacrimas race through the air, rearranging themselves to catch the two from every angle, and another to project a scoreboard with their names on it for the whole audience to see.

After some commotion in the judges' booth, Jenny catches sight of six little paddles, three with large Ms on them, the others with Js. Mirajane and Jenny. Everything was set.

"Ready, Mira?" Jenny smirks slightly at her rival, idol, senior model, and now…junior?

"As ready as I'll ever be." The Fairy smiles right back as magic power begins to fill the air, the both of them glowing brightly as the audience settles in for a bikini battle.

The audience roars as the first round of bikinis and less than innocent poses begins, neither of them all that shy about making the men in the crowd go wild. After all, being sexy was in their job description.

Mira immediately shifts to a blue bikini and sits down rather suggestively on the ground. Sasuke blinks as he watches both his guild mate and the fairy commence an actual beauty pageant of sorts. "I thought Sting was joking about the beauty contest thing." He shakes his head. Oh boy.

"It would seem not." Itachi raises an eyebrow as Jenny shifts into a pink and black tiger-patterned bikini and the numbers begin to roll. Three rounds, four, five, six, seven, eight… "…I can see why Mirajane was once a pin-up model." He hadn't really taken much interest in looking at the models, at least, no more interest than the average person, but perhaps he should look into their guild's pile of old magazines…

"I guess she technically still is." Sasuke shakes his head. "I don't think she actually quit before they were frozen, but this is a little ridiculous." Well it was a good thing the women weren't using these tactics on the men, otherwise the guild with the most women would have won automatically.

As the bikinis slowly start to cover less and less, Itachi found himself to have…something of a problem. His Sharingan had activated of its own accord. "Yes…ridiculous, indeed."

"Itachi, why did you activate your Sharingan?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

Shisui tries his best not to laugh, but it was difficult. "Well for your sake, Itachi, I really hope that it was Mira that caught your attention. I'm not entirely sure how serious Hibiki and Jenny were about their offer." It was hard to tell really. They were both beautiful women. He couldn't really blame Itachi for reacting, but still.

Gears turns in Hibiki's head as he shoots a grin at his guild mates. "Well, the offer wasn't a joke, but I guess if Itachi's into a She-Devil, then I guess Jenny wouldn't quite be his cup of tea." He snickers at the thought. "But Shisui, it's still open if you want to play."

"She is...very lovely, but I must confess I value the friendship the three of us have too much to risk letting physical gratification get in the middle of it." There was really no denying the blonde was beautiful by almost anyone's standards. "No offense."

Sasuke shakes his head. "You're all a bunch of a perverts." Well he knew what the activated Sharingan meant now. Thank goodness that had never really been a problem for him.

Hibiki shrugs. "Alright, too bad, though, could have been a lot of fun."

"You're a far more generous man than I am." Shisui chuckles at his offer. "I don't think I"d be so eager to share such a beautiful woman." He was far too possessive for that.

"And I am NOT a pervert!" Itachi couldn't help that that happened. It was…a natural reaction to seeing a very, very attractive Mirajane Strauss in an extremely revealing bikini.

"You're a pervert." Sasuke rolls his eyes at his brother. "A closet pervert is still a pervert. The Sharingan doesn't lie and when were the two of you going to tell me about that little quirk?!"

Itachi glares at his foolish little brother, before poking him sharply in the forehead. "Whenever your eyes began to shine like rubies for the Fairy Queen." If Sasuke was going to get a jab in, then so was he!

Sasuke twitches at the forehead poke and the taunt. "So never, then. Maybe, I should inform Mira after the battle about your new eye color!"

Trying to figure out whether his brother would really go through with that threat or not, Itachi frowns. "Oh? And just why do you think your eyes would not turn red for Titania? Have you outgrown her? Perhaps you prefer cougars…"

"Because I'm not a closet pervert like you!" Sasuke glares at Itachi for embarrassing him. "I can look at a beautiful woman and not immediately want to jump her!" Damn it. He had just given Itachi ammunition by calling Erza beautiful indirectly. "Well you know what I mean!" His brother was never going to let him live that down and now Shisui was laughing at him in the background!

"Why don't we put that to the test, then?" Hibiki points down into the arena, as he and Ren had noticed the commotion on the arena floor as the other ladies dropped in on the contest, all clad in various styles of swimsuits, from fairly conservative, yet flattering, to downright outrageous. And among them was Erza, clad in a black bikini, and stretching out on her knees in a way reminiscent of a cat.

"What the?" Sasuke blinks at the scene. "Fuck?" This was well like the judges said, fanservice and probably every straight man in the audience's secret fantasy come to life. "Um right..." He really hoped that Sharingan reaction was a conscious one. If not, he was so screwed.

Itachi smirks at the sight of Sasuke's eyes. "And that, foolish little brother, only serves to prove my point for me." Ruby red, just as he'd said. "Now…what is it that you were saying concerning telling Mira about the properties of the Sharingan?"

"What was that, Itachi?" Sasuke glares at him defiantly. "You want me to Chidori in a manner that ensures you are NEVER able to have children?" Great, Itachi was really never going to let him live this down and neither was Shisui. He'd be lucky if neither of them told Erza.

"Far from it." Itachi's muscles tense, ready to spring out of the way if need be. "This simply gives me hope that perhaps one day, the both of us might be uncles."

Shisui shakes his head in amusement. "He's merely teasing you Sasuke, but his point is a valid one." It was difficult not to laugh. Sasuke looked like a soaked cat. He was just so incredibly irritated.

Oh boy, Hibiki could see Sasuke twitching. That meant that he was less than five seconds from throwing one of his lightning attacks. Fortunately, the women below were providing the perfect distraction. Bondage gear. "Ah, Sasuke, you might want to ignore Itachi for a bit and look down."

"Well I'm merely to to tease him by shoving my Chidori so far up his a-" He was suddenly distracted by HIbiki. "What is it?" Then he made the mistake of looking down at the Arena and saw the Queen wearing a very, very tiny black armor for a bondage theme? Yeah. Then he fell on his ass. "Owe."

The smirk on Itachi's face only grows wider. It seemed that his brother had an unknown kink for bondage, or perhaps just the gear, or perhaps the dominatrix vibe as a whole. It was difficult to tell. "Sasuke, are you alright? Do you require a doctor, or a nurse?" Perfect opportunity. "I'm sure that she has such an outfit hidden away, should you require attention."

It wasn't really the bondage, so much as the amount of skin that was being displayed for Sasuke. "I'm fine!" He hisses at his brother as he gets up and tries to reclaim his dignity. Which had just been shattered into a million little pieces.

"Are you certain?" Itachi crosses his arms, making sure not to take in the sight of Mira too much. "Your Sharingan are spinning."

"So is yours!" Sasuke grumbles as he shakes his head, hoping that he wasn't actually blushing.

Oh, he was, but Itachi wasn't quite cruel enough to point that out. "In any case, it's good to see that you have such a healthy interest in a woman. I was beginning to worry a little." He blinks as the theme changes yet again, school swimsuits having been thrown in there somewhere, along with stockings and glasses, and other such accessories. But now, it had turned to… "Wedding dresses?"

"Indeed." And somehow, Hibiki was already in a tuxedo. "And since those typically come with a man involved…" Well, someone had to escort Jenny. "Come on, Ren."

Ren had also dressed himself in a tux, his air magic already picking the two of them up. "Fine, but don't expect me to like it."

Hibiki hakes hi head on the way down towards the arena floor. "Just go get your fiancee." Ren could play it up all he liked, but he HAD proposed to Sherry, after all.

"Right...well that worked out perfectly for Ren and Sherry at least." Sasuke shakes his head in disbelief. "And for Hibiki and Jenny."

"Will you be joining them?" Itachi raises an eyebrow at his brother. "It seems that Erza is unaccompanied." The same couldn't be said for Mira, whose escort was Fairy Tail's elderly guild master, otherwise Itachi would be tempted to throw caution to the wind and entertain the crowd a little. …Maybe Blue Pegasus was rubbing off on him a little too much.

Shisui shakes his head. Poor Sasuke was caught between a rock and a hard place. His natural uncertainty and his pride. Itachi would tease him without mercy either way. He was sure.

"No. I think she's got it covered." He shakes his head. Besides, she'd probably just pat his head again or something. "Asuka looks cute though." Yeah. He'd just focus on the cute kid and the cats and then maybe, his Sharingan would deactivate.

"A shame, it would have been an excellent opportunity." Though Itachi did find it rather amusing to watch the chaos down below as the couples, almost couples, and should be couples were getting into all sorts of havoc. For example, Gray saving Juvia from Lyon, and getting glomped by the woman he clearly didn't want, and Lucy being dropped by her guild mate, Loke, on top of an unsuspecting Natsu, who was failing to be charmed by Lisanna, the youngest Strauss sibling.

Sasuke sighs as he watches the chaos. "She just doesn't see me that way." Wait. On second thought, he probably should. "But just in case Sting or another Sabertooth gets any funny ideas, I guess I should go. It's the gentlemanly thing to do." And with that, he darts off.

"Well at least we known how he won the Chariot event now." Shisui chuckles as he shakes his head. "When properly motivated, Sasuke is just as fast as the lightning he wields."

"Indeed he is." Itachi chuckles at the sight. "And he is quite predictable in his own way." At least, it was relatively easy for Itachi to predict Sasuke's moves. Maybe it was just his big brother instincts, or maybe exposure to Sasuke's antics. Who knew? "Do you plan on joining them and making a fool of yourself?"

"Oh I don't know." He tilts his head considering. "It'd be rather hard to choose just one, though it looks like most of them have been claimed. What about yourself?" Shisui smiles slyly at Itachi. "Oh wait. Your Fairy is still technically battling."

Itachi shoots Shisui a half-hearted glare. "Yes, Mirajane is still in the midst of her battle, though while Erza is called the Fairy Queen, I do believe that Mirajane has done something suitable to be named the She-Devil." So calling her a Fairy was downplaying her ferocity, somewhat. Allegedly, anyway. "And I believe, by the end of this match, we shall know why."

* * *

Sasuke suddenly felt incredibly awkward. Most of the people were paired up and he was starting to stick out like a sore thumb. Should he approach Erza or just kinda hover on the edges and hope that no one glomped him? Though glomping didn't seem like too big a threat because again almost everyone had found a 'spouse'.

A scarlet eyebrow rises as brown eyes flick around the crowd, falling on someone who looked…a little out of place, despite the rather fetching white tuxedo, the edges of a dark blue dress shirt peaking out around the collar. Interesting, and impossible not to see. So, her long, elegant white dress fluttering as she walks, Erza smiles as she approaches the young man. "You appear to be more than a little poleaxed."

"You could say that." He was used to wearing formal clothes as a member of Blue Pegasus, but he wasn't used to tens of thousands of eyes on him as he wore a wedding tux and was surrounded by a lot of potential brides. "I figured...deter unwanted proposals?" That sounded foolish even to his own ears, but that was the best he could come up with on short notice.

"I see." Erza nods, considering the approach. "I believe that I can fill such a role." She smirks, twining her arm with his. "We wouldn't want you to be overwhelmed by women, now would we?"

"Well I was thinking it would more likely be the other way around, but sure?" Well at least she was implying that other women would find him eligible. Finally, it seemed like he had been promoted from puppy to...well something else! "I guess Gray is doing better, if he's punching Lyon around like that." He smiles. It seemed a safe topic of conversation and he thanked the gods and goddesses that she didn't have any clue what his Sharingan meant.

"Yes, he is." Erza chuckles at the sight of the two old friends bickering and fighting. "I believe that Natsu's words earlier helped to bolster his spirit." Her smiles softens a the sight of the pink-haired boy. "His words helped all of us, because it's Natsu, which means he'll speak the truth no matter what anyone else thinks about it." And to hell with the consequences, which is usually what got him into so much trouble.

Sasuke sighs and nods. "Well that's good. I kinda owe him an apology." Poor guy's pride had really taken a beating at this tournament and like it or not, that wasn't fair. Gray was one of the strongest wizards here.

"Oh?" Erza tilts her head, considering the matter, but coming up blank. "Why would you owe him an apology?" Had the two of them fought behind her back?

"He taunted me about my age." It had been fun to give it to him right back, but Erza would probably be less than impressed. Though it would be surprising, if she didn't eventually find out about it anyway. "I may have insinuated that he and Natsu were involved in a romantic relationship and it might have upset him."

She blinks. "I see." That certainly explained a lot. "Well, they certainly would be if they would stop fighting, and start putting their energy towards more productive things." Hostly, the two of them had been fighting like that since they were children. It was obvious that it was two young boys who each had a crush, but had no idea how to express themselves about it. "I suppose that perhaps if you were to soothe Gray's pride, he might be more inclined to grabbing Natsu and taking him back to the inn for some privacy."

Sasuke shakes his head. Those two were far too stubborn for that. "I doubt it, but I feel guilty about it." What with everything that had happened with Raven Tail and some of the outrageous bets that were going on. "And I'm sorry about Jenny." The woman had always been rightfully confident about her body, but to do a beauty contest in the middle of a battle was crazy.

"Why are you sorry?" Erza chuckles at his expression. "I find her idea to be quite a lot of fun." It wasn't every day that Erza got to requip so many of her more fun outfits. Well, the ones she didn't use in battle, anyway. "Some of those pieces have been in storage so long that they deserve to breathe a little fresh air." She ruffles the skirt of her dress. "I almost thought that I would never have the chance to wear this."

The men in her guild were apparently either all gay or just stuck on stupid, he decides. "I'm sure that you'll have another chance to wear it, but I'm glad you're enjoying the spectacle." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well I didn't want you to think that Jenny wasn't taking the competition seriously, it's just she's...well she prefers the fine arts to the combat arts most of the time."

"Yes, so I see." It was quite apparent that Jenny's interests lay far outside the realms of combat, despite being a wizard in her own right. Still, Erza wasn't bothered by it. As for the dress… "Perhaps I'll wear it again someday. But I fear that day will be quite a ways off." But as she looks him up and down, her fading smile regains its strength. "Though looking like that, I'm sure that whichever soul holds your heart will be quite pleased in knowing that."

Pleased or oblivious, Sasuke thinks to himself. "Thanks. So how long do you think they're going to be at it?" He glances at Mira and Jenny.

"Well, I can't imagine that they'll allow this to continue for too much longer. There IS a time limit after all." And if memory served her, that time ran out in about seven minutes. Curiously, as she watched Sasuke's eyes wander, she found that they didn't linger on any one person for very long, and even if they lingered, there was a certain…not apathy,but detachment. And then there was the color, the Sharingan, she believed they called it. "What is wrong, Sasuke? Your eyes match my hair."

"Oh nothing's wrong." Right. He was going to have to explain the Sharingan to her. "It's just a family thing. Dragon slayers eat their element...my family's eyes change color sometimes." If they were 'lucky'. "If certain conditions are met. It doesn't hurt or damage my vision." he assures her.

And there it was, it was in his eyes, there was something different now. "Yes, so Shisui told me. However, I was under the impression that it was a battle skill, more than anything else." The way that Sasuke looked at her was…very focused. He didn't simply glance over her the way he did the others. Interesting…

"Well…it usually is." He couldn't lie to her, but Sasuke could be vague. "It's more...that it tends to activate either consciously or during adrenaline rushes." Yeah. That was technically accurate. Animal attraction probably had some adrenaline involved.

"I see." So he was excited, then, or scared, but he didn't seem afraid to Erza. So that meant, by default, that something had excited him. Perhaps he was embarrassed and wouldn't elaborate further in public. "I will keep that in mind in the future. It is best to know what it is that your friends can do, after all." Perhaps that would reassure him a little?

"The Sharingan is complicated." He makes sure to keep his voice barely above a whisper. "It would be like you trying to explain all your armors to me in one conversation, but I'm fine." He smiles at her reassuringly.

"Is that so?" Such a sweetheart, he was. She laughs softly at the thought. After all, he was grown now, not a child. It was proving to be an interesting task, reconciling the child she once knew, with the man who stood next to her. "Then, for now, that is fine. Though I hope that we talk about this later, it seems that I have much to learn." And much to observe as well.

Yeah. He'd just make sure to keep one unconventional aspect away from her. "Yeah." He blinks when he sees Jenny in her armor and Mira in well he had no idea what THAT was. "I think...we should probably take a few steps back."

"Agreed." Erza takes a firm hold of his arm as the many other extra guild members vacate the arena floor,and she pulls Sasuke into one of the vacant tunnels. "That is one of her Satan Souls. She calls it Sitri, it's her most powerful take-over." That meant that this fight was as good as over.

Sasuke nods as Mira gets ready to attack. "I granted your request. So it's only polite that you grant mine!" She smirks at her. "We finish this with a battle. And she pulls back her arm, springing towards Jenny and putting the other wizard on the ground with a single powerful punch, before turning and raising her fist to the crowd.

Erza watches the sight happily, listening to Chapati carefully. "It seems that while we were preoccupied, the two of them struck a wager of their own." Not only that, but both Fairy Tail teams would be ending the day with twelve points each. They had their momentum now.

"Well I'm not happy that we lost a match, but I'm glad that Fairy Tail has found its footing." Sasuke shakes his head. "Your guild deserves a chance to prove how strong you are." Especially after so long coming in dead last.

"Yes, and as tomorrow is the third day, we'll only have more chances to prove just that." And perhaps it was her turn to contribute to her guild's score. "I think I will participate in tomorrow's contest portion. To celebrate Wendy's recovery."

He smirks at her. "I'd tell you to be careful, but I'm sure if it's another Pageant, you should be set." Sasuke probably shouldn't have said that, but his guild was rubbing off on him.

Erza raises an eyebrow, before returning the smirk. "If that turned out to be the case, I suppose that I should be relieved that you competed today."

He looks at her confused. "I'm pretty sure that the improvised beauty contests are tilted towards only one gender." God help them all, if a Man Slut Pageant started.

She laughs, shaking her head. Perhaps she misinterpreted the earlier remark, though she could have sworn he was trying to flirt with her. Oh well, no harm done, then. "Well, I'm sure that much of Blue Pegasus would beg to disagree." Her body glows, and for an instant, there's nothing but pale skin, before it is replaced with a new and improved breastplate, pauldrons, and gauntlets, along with her customary dark skirt, and a new black turtleneck. "Well, I wish you luck in furthering your team in the competition, Sasuke." Her eyes glimmer softly at him. "And I do look forward to seeing how much you've grown when you get a chance to battle."

"Y-Yeah you too." Damn it! He wasn't getting a nosebleed was he? "I'm sure you'll do great and don't mind the rest of my guild. They all love to strut, but they're mostly harmless."

Patting his head gently, she notes the soft texture of his hair under her fingers, just like she remembered. "Yes, I know. But just do your best, strut if you earn the right, and perhaps we'll have our own chance to square off." She smirks at the thought. "I would certainly look forward to facing you before the end of the games."

Again with the patting?! "I strutted a bit with Sting." He shrugs. "He deserved it though. Bastard started it." He made Gray look innocent in comparison.

"Yes, I can imagine that he did." Erza frowns, removing her hand. Affectionate gestures seemed to displease him. That was fine, she would refrain from them if it made him uncomfortable. "I apologize for upsetting you." She smiles apologetically. "Be sure to enjoy the rest of your day." She turns away, making for her teams gallery. After all, there was one match left in the day, and it wouldn't do to miss it. Next to fight would be Sabertooth, they were the ones to watch, the ones to beat.

"You didn't upset me." Sasuke shakes his head quickly. "You never could." He reaches out to stop her, lightly taking hold of her hand as she turns away.

But…he had clearly been upset about something only moments earlier. It made no sense. Erza shakes her head. "Then why did you seem upset? It was…well, written all over your face." Why was he denying something as clear as day?

"I wasn't upset that you touched me...I was just…never mind, it was stupid." He shakes his head. "I'm not upset with you though." More like he was upset at himself for not being the older Uchiha Brother. If he was Itachi's age, maybe she wouldn't pat him on the head like a puppy!

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Erza could see that he wasn't happy, he was agitated about something, and his hand was wrapped around hers, well, the armor, at least. From what she could tell, there seemed to be what she thought was an attempt at flirting, but a lack of understanding of returning the favor, and discomfort involved with affectionate gestures, but only give by her, and not him. Unless he considered holding her hand not to be affectionate. Then again, there was seemingly very little discomfort when they were together in the arena, so what in the blazes was going on!?

Damn it. He had to tell her something. "It's...not your fault. When you left, I was twelve." He shakes his head. "You still see me as the same child I was on the day you disappeared. You used to pat may head like that when I was a kid..." He trails off. Now he just sounded like he was complaining over nothing. He should have stayed by Itachi and Shisui and enjoyed the view and not been greedy.

So that was it. Well, it was a simple enough fix. "Very well, then I will stop with the patting." Erza would do that if it meant preserving his pride. Still, she couldn't stay in the tunnels much longer, not with the sounds of the next match going on out in the arena. "I suppose I will see you tomorrow, then." She slips her hand out of his, turning and continuing her walk down the hallway. "Wish your team good luck for me." After all, she was going to be the next to compete. "You'll need it." And with the ghost of a laugh, she disappears up a staircase.

"I think that was progress?" He blinks as he watches her flit off.

"I think that was you flirting instinctively with her, and not recognizing when she was flirting back." Itachi emerges from an adjacent staircase, raising an eyebrow at Sasuke. "And you have a very bad habit of saying very little of what's going on in your mind. No wonder she didn't understand what was going on." Honestly, his little brother could handle women he wasn't interested in well enough, but when it came to the one woman his Sharingan activated for, he could barely get more than a handful of words out.

"She wasn't flirting back." Sasuke rolls his eyes. Itachi clearly wasn't half as smooth as he thought he was. "Erza was treating me like some kid she was humoring."

Itachi shakes his head. "When you complimented her looks, she returned the compliment" It was like explaining basic math. "You inferred that if the next contest were a beauty pageant, that she would have no trouble winning it. She then responded that if that were the case, that she is lucky that you competed today, instead of tomorrow, implying quite strongly that she finds you attractive." His little brother was a genius…but not in the ways of female psychology. Itachi attributed that to growing up largely without a female figure in his life, and his aversion to giggling girls, as well as the color pink.

"It sounded more like she was just humoring me and trying to be nice than hitting on me." Sasuke lived in Blue Pegasus, he was used to seeing lots of flirtation going on.

Oh boy, this was going to be fun. Not. "Sasuke, she is not a wizard of Blue Pegasus. Her flirtations are not going to be nearly so…overt, or loud. And she is not simply going to throw herself at you." Itachi thought that much as rather obvious. "I doubt that she engages much in flirtation at all, and that was likely her way of testing the waters. Your reaction likely told her that flirting was not at all your intention, and that you were rebuffing her own attempt. Therefore, she resorted to a more familiar gesture…which you also rebuffed."

"..." Sasuke blinks. "I mean...have you seen her armors?" Erza didn't strike him as the subtle type. "Are you trying to say that she's shy?!"

"No, I am saying that she is respectful and considerate, and will back off if she sees signs of discomfort." Well, better late than never, Itachi supposed. "If she were simply out to seduce you, it would likely be another story entirely." And his brother would very likely fall for it in seconds if she used any of her more interesting armors.

He wasn't entirely convinced. "I swear if you're wrong about this Itachi, you will never be able to sire any snowchildren with Mira!" He would make sure of it!

Itachi blinks. "Snowchildren?" Where did that come from? No, never mind, that wasn't important right now. "In any case, we've been waiting for you to return. You were taking so long that I was elected to come and find you."

"I really have to explain that one?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Mira's hair is white as snow. Do the math." He shakes his head as he walks off with Itachi. "Honestly, you're a genius, but the most obvious stuff eludes you and good thinking. Bob would probably send out a search party for me, if I took too long."

"Yes, he likely would." After all, Sasuke was still one of the younger members of Blue Pegasus, and since he'd been there for over a decade now, he was essentially the baby of the guild. And Itachi found it oh so very amusing. "However, snow is not the first thing I think of when it comes to Mira. And while I doubt that any children I did hypothetically sire with her would use snow magic, I would not be opposed to it if they did." But it was an interesting thought, would the children of a wizard and a ninja have chakra, magic, or both? An interesting concept to ponder…

"Well I was talking about her hair color." His brother was too literal sometimes. "Whatever…Shisui's chasing someone's skirt again." He groans.

"Again?" Itachi had only left their cousin a few minutes ago. Was he seriously trying to chat up a woman this quickly?

He nods as he points to Shisui chatting up a busty brunette in a pink bikini top and white capri. "Yeah. Cana, I think her name was." She was from Fairy Tail.

Itachi was half-tempted to go over there and drag Shisui off by the ear, but thinks better of it. "If he believes that he can handle Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker, I wish him luck." But that was one mess that he wanted no part in. "Either it will end very well for Shisui, or he will be hit in the head with barrel." It was a toss-up.

"Well I guess it's a win either way for us then." Sasuke shrugs. "She might knock some sense into him or at least make him focus only on one skirt."

"Perhaps." Though Itachi shuddered to think what a child with Shisui's flirtatious nature and Cana's drinking habits would produce. But he wouldn't be the first Uchiha to fall for a Fairy.

Imagine that. The great Uchihas…enchanted by a bunch of Fairies.


	12. Chapter 12

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 12

A few hours later, Sasuke still wasn't sure what to do or not do about Erza, but he was back with his guild at their inn, and something was off. "Something wrong, Hibiki?" There was definitely something wrong with his normally bubbly guild mate.

Hibiki grimaces, the same memories flashing through his mind for the millionth time. "It's that last fight…the way it went down, it just…really seemed wrong."

"That seems to be a running theme in this year's games." Sasuke sighs and shakes his head. "It was vicious though. I hope she's alright." Gods and Goddesses only knew what Sabertooth would do to her. They'd probably kick her out, but for some reason Sasuke doubted they'd stop there.

"Well, logically, she shouldn't have been." Hibiki's brow furrows. "Lucky for her that Kagura didn't collect on that bet." At least, not the way she was meant to.

Another bet?! What was with these people?! "What was it this time? Not another naked photo-shoot, right?" What was with everyone in these games either being sadistic or sex crazed?

Hibiki shakes his head, leaning back on the couch he'd claimed in the private lounge. "I wish…that ind of bet, no one would have minded but…" His nose crinkles with distaste. "The girl from Sabertooth, Yukino, she pushed forward that the two of them bet their lives on the match. Kagura accepted the bet."

"Is that even legal?!" Sasuke's eyes widen in horror. "They're going too far!"

"It was a private wager between two legal adults who are capable of consenting to and making decisions for themselves, and no one was coerced." Hibiki grits his teeth. He didn't like it either. "That means that it's not…illegal, per say, but it's not the first option someone's mind jumps to when they're suggesting a bet, that's for sure."

"Well at least Kagura didn't actually collect." Sasuke sighs in relief and shakes his head. "Any idea what happened to her afterward? Yukino, I mean?"

"No, I don't." And that bothered Hibiki as well, along with Kagura's words at the end of the match. "Kagura said that Yukino's life now belongs to her. So…I guess she's planning on collecting, but not by killing her, as originally agreed." Though what exactly the swordswoman planned to do…Hibiki couldn't even begin to fathom.

That was disturbing on so many levels. "I should probably go check on Fairy Tail." Sasuke was certain that at least one, or maybe more of their wizards were definitely going to have something to say about all of that!

"Alright…" Hibiki's Archive monitor glows in the air as he types. "One of their teams is staying at the Honeybone Inn. That's Team A." Not for the first time, he connects Archive to Sasuke's mind, downloading the map of the city directly into his head, complete with directions to the inn. "Just don't stay out too late. It's dangerous with Sabertooth and Raven Tail lurking around." Sabertooth got no points during the second day's events, so they would likely be on the warpath. And Raven Tail…well, Hibiki didn't truth them as far as he could throw them.

"Got it." Sasuke nods as he swiftly departs. "Better to find them now before there is blood in the streets." Which might actually happen.

He was trying to hurry to the Honeybone Inn, but there were just so many damn people. "Excuse me, sorry." And more than one of them tried to brush up against him 'accidentally' and there were plenty that did actually bump into him. "There are too many people in this city." He mutters under his breath as he finally makes his way to the Inn and slinks inside, suddenly feeling like that was actually worse than the Chariot Event.

Wearing a forest-green turtleneck, and a black skirt, Erza walks along the upstairs walkway, blinking at the sight of the wizard near the door. "Sasuke? What are you doing here this late?" He should have been at his guild's inn, resting up for tomorrow. There was a chance that he might be picked for the battle portion.

"I heard about Yukino." This was probably going to sound foolish, but Itachi did call him his foolish little brother for a reason he supposed. "Everything alright here? I figured Fairy Tail would be itching for a fight after that." Most likely Natsu, but really any of them might have a go at Sabertooth.

Erza nods. "In Fairy Tail, there are always a few itching for a fight. However, as for Yukino…" Well, that was another story. "She left a little while ago, but she came here to meet with Lucy concerning her gate keys, before leaving."

That didn't sound good. "She alright?" Leaving. The woman must have been kicked out of her guild. "Please tell me that Natsu isn't on his way to confront Sabertooth now."

"He went after Yukino to apologize." He'd been very rude, and Erza had glared at him a bit before he took off running. Then again…that had been a while ago… "I would hope that he wouldn't be so foolish as to attack another guild in the middle of the games." And outside of the arena, no less.

"This is Natsu." If Sasuke was foolish, that Dragon Slayer could be downright insane sometimes. "Though if you don't think there's anything to worry about, maybe I'm overreacting."

No, if Sasuke's instincts were to assume such an outcome, then than made Erza nervous. Still, Natsu was highly unpredictable, and there's no telling where he might have gone. He might have just gone after Yukino, and decided that her being kicked out was none of his business, before wandering into the city with Happy, or he might have gone off looking for a fight. Then again, that was quite a while ago, and nothing had happened just yet, so maybe he really was just blowing off a little steam at the bar.

Either way, no good would come of dwelling on what if's, if Erza didn't know where to look for answers. "Well, I'm sure that Natsu wouldn't do anything too foolish. And he has Happy with him, so I wouldn't worry about it too much." She makes her way down the stairs, stopping a few feet, a comfortable distance from their visitor. "Natsu can be impulsive, but his heart is always in the right place."

"I know that." It was strange that he had such a personality clash with someone who shared his primary chakra nature, but Natsu was just so different than him that Sasuke found it hard to relate. "Sorry for rushing in like this. It's just...he has a habit of going overboard." And so did the rest of Fairy Tail. Though Sasuke knew he was cocky and stubborn like Natsu, he usually planned things out more. Unless they involved Itachi or taunting older, equally cocky wizards. Like Gray and Sting. "I guess if he hasn't blown up something by now though, it was a false alarm."

Yes, Erza had to admit that certainly was Natsu's style. "It's quite alright. We were entertaining a former member of Sabertooth not long ago, so a friend from an allied guild is more than welcome to come and visit."

He should probably say something. "Yeah I guess so and obviously you're welcome around our place." Speaking of that, well it was a risk. Though if there was a chance Itachi was right, maybe he should say something.

Erza smiles, nodding. "Yes, I gathered that from the way that Hibiki, Ren, Eve, and Ichiya came storming into the inn to see Lucy and I earlier."

"Did...Ichiya conduct himself properly?" Hibiki was a flirt, but he was in love with Jenny. "He wasn't trying to bask in your imaginary perfume again, was he?" Ren was engaged and wouldn't stray, charming smiles aside. "Because if you need me to, I can tell him to back off." And Eve, well Eve was Eve. He was too sweet for Sasuke to get jealous of him, even if the man was his senior by a few years.

The redhead shakes her head, smiling wryly. "Sasuke, be good. After all, Ichiya may be…strange, but he is harmless." At least to her. To the enemies of Blue Pegasus, on the other hand, well, that was an entirely different story. Best to change the subject though, and there was something that rather intrigued her. So, she motions towards the couches in the small lounge. "Come, why don't you tell me about the things that I've missed in the last few years…?" She eyes the swirling flames circling his left bicep, ink disappearing under the long wrist-guards and the collar of his shirt. "Such as that work of art."

"I know, but he always chases after you. It's like he thinks you're one of those cakes that you like so much." He probably shouldn't have said that. That implied eating, which somehow conjured up some rather forbidden images of a naked Erza jumping out of a cake or licking frosting off her and damn it! "Oh the tattoo? Well that was partially Shisui's idea really." He could feel it. His Sharingan had already activated again. "Itachi wasn't too happy about it to say the least." He sits down with her.

Chuckling at the thought of Itachi's reaction, Erza examines the tattoo's waving, swirling colors against the normally pale skin. "Yes, I can see how that might have been Shisui's idea. Itachi has always struck me more as the kind of man to consider his body to be a temple." Not that there was anything at all wrong with body art, Erza quite liked it, though hadn't indulged in it, herself.

"He thought it would be a good idea to get symbols to go along with our names." Sasuke tries to explain. "Like you have Queen of the Fairies, eventually the public just gave us some as well." He shakes his head. "I think that Sorcerer Weekly had a hand in it really, but I don't really mind." He holds out his arm to let her examine as much as she wanted.

"Ah, of course." It was one of those things that came with being a wizard. Eventually, if you were famous enough, you ended up with a nickname. Though Erza had never found out just who gave her the one she carried, but she digressed. "Then I suppose that is a testament to your skills as a wizard." And someone's skills as an artist. "When you are deemed to be very powerful, you inevitably end up with a nickname. I presume that yours has to do with fire, then?"

"Yeah." Sasuke nods. Some of the nicknames he didn't understand where they came from, but his was pretty obvious. "Since we're all related and foreign, it was natural they'd try to tie our names together." He hoped that she liked it. It was probably silly, but Sasuke felt such things were important to a degree. "Shisui got Hurricane. Itachi's is Tsunami and I got Inferno. They call us Nature's Fury." And some other things, but that was the most appropriate name for their 'group', that they had been given.

Erza raises an eyebrow, resisting the urge to laugh at Sasuke's ability to strut, even when sitting. "An odd name, for wizards of Blue Pegasus. The three of you must have made quite the impression to earn a name with such…force." And it made no secret of how they got their other monikers. "Inferno, huh? Well, I think that it suits you. You always did have such a fiery temper."

Did he? Alright, maybe when you compared him to the rest of his guild, he did. "It's all relative. Maybe, for Blue Pegasus, but I'd one of the calmer members in Fairy Tail." Granted Fairy Tail was a guild that went to extremes, but still.

"True, but I do seem to recall one visit involving you producing a fireball, and subsequently chasing Natsu about for fifteen minutes for eating it, before being carried back inside when you ran out of energy for chasing him." Erza smirks at the memory of a tiny Sasuke racing around after Natsu. "You may be calm for the most part, but you're quite a terror when provoked."

He blushed at that. "Well...he deserved it and I was twelve." People should learn not to put out his fires! First Ren and then Natsu?!

"Yes, and at twelve, you seemed to believe that producing fire in front of Natsu wouldn't end with him eating it." Erza shakes her head, leaning back into the couch. "I understood then why Itachi called you his foolish little brother." Although… "Perhaps not so little anymore." Her gaze softens. "You really have grown…" He had a nickname, a tattoo, and he was taller than her, not to mention competing in the Grand Magic Games. He was still younger than her, but not by nearly as much now.

"Well how was I supposed to know that he was the only person in the world who eats fire?" Sasuke was about ready to protest the foolish and little label more, but then he hears the rest of that. "And thank you. It must be...disorienting. To see everyone else besides you and those that were frozen having aged, but to be exactly the same."

"Yes…it is…" More than he could imagine. "The children have grown, and now I feel like a child, myself." Disorienting was putting it mildly, and Erza was still struggling with bouts of surprise at seeing how things had changed while they were away. "Many things are very different now. We have many new opportunities, but have lost many old ones as well. Situations have…changed, people have changed…" Like Jellal, fighting for peace in the kingdom, while largely withdrawing himself from the world. He was…nearly unreachable now.

"And some things have stayed exactly the same." He nods at her. "Like your love of cake and Gray's stripping habit." Perhaps not the most...elegant method of comforting her, but it seemed to be something that would be said in Fairy Tail. "Shisui got his tattoos of wings on his arms by the way, if you were wondering."

Erza chuckles at the thought of Gray and cake. "Did he now? I'm sure that they look marvelous." Her eyes trail back to the art adorning Sasuke's skin. "I can understand why you took advantage of having such pale skin, the artwork truly is lovely. Very fierce, but graceful too." It suited him well.

"They do, but I thought we were talking about my tattoo, not you." He smiles at her with ruby red eyes. "Fierce and graceful seems like a more apt description of you than something as commonplace as a tattoo, no matter how well done it might be." Wait. He shouldn't have said that. Damn it. Sometimes there were drawbacks to living with Pegasus. He loved his guild, but their flirtatious habits could rub off on you before you even realized it.

The smile never leaves Erza's face as she takes the compliment in stride. "Perhaps that is so, though you should never shortchange yourself, Sasuke. Even something commonplace can be beautiful in the right place, in the right light."

"Maybe." Well she was smiling. Maybe now was a good time. "That's...kinda what I wanted to talk to you about." They were alone and she was in a good mood and she seemed to find him attractive on some level. Maybe Itachi had a point. "About earlier...back during Jenny and Mira's fight."

"Yes?" That battle had been a little chaotic, to put it mildly. Though Erza had to admit that it was rather fun. "What is it Sas-"

A deafening blast rocks the city, too far away to possibly be close to the inn. But it was more that a little alarming. Especially since after years of exposure to the perpetrator, Erza recognized that magical power quite well. She was on her feet in an instant, looking towards the windows, trying to locate the source of Natsu's fury.

"God damn it Natsu!" Forget about Salamander, his new name was Cockblocker! Sasuke knew that there was only one possible person in the city who could make THAT much noise at the drop of a hat! That damn IDIOT!

Erza bites back a few curses of her own. "It would seem that your initial instincts were right." Just what had set Natsu off THAT much!? There's another blast, followed by several small ones. Clearly, he was in battle.

So, she races outside, leaping onto the rooftop to get a good look at the city. And for a couple of minutes…all is quiet again. "I don't like this…"

Neither did Sasuke. For two reasons. "Watch out. I doubt it really ended that quickly." Natsu was still a damn blocker and secondly, a quiet Natsu was a dangerous Natsu.

As the seconds tick by, Erza's nerves begin to fray, and her eyes stay watching the entire city before her. Tick…tick…tick…she could almost feel her heart counting the second double time. And then, her eyes fall onto Crocus Gardens, the hotel housing the Sabertooth guild. He wouldn't…

A roar echoes across the city, almost blocked out completely by the sound of the blast of fire and lightning that erupts from the hotel, blasting off a good chunk of the roof. "Natsu…" Erza recognized that attack. "The Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer." It was part of the extra power given to him by Laxus in their duel with the master of Grimoire Heart.

"Should we do damage control?" Though there was a good chance Natsu might fire off another one.

"I…am not sure…" Erza was quite used to Natsu's antics, but this was on an entirely different level. "Resorting to something like that…often means that the battle is over." And she wasn't sure that there was much they could do. Still, it would probably be best to collect Natsu. "You should return to your inn."

Sasuke looks at her with concern. "You sure?" He knew that Erza could take care of herself, but he didn't feel right leaving her behind in such an uncertain situation.

She sighs, nodding at him. "Yes, this is a Fairy Tail matter. It would be wrong to drag you into our problems." And problems they would have, if Sabertooth was involved. She jumps from the roof, landing in the middle of the deserted cobblestone street.

He sighs and nods. "Alright. Be careful." So much for telling her tonight, Sasuke thinks to himself as he decides to return to Blue Pegasus's inn. Luckily, the streets weren't as crowded now. He made it back in one piece relatively easily.

* * *

Itachi was waiting up for him when his little brother arrived back rather late. And judging by the look on his face, Itachi could easily guess what had happened. "Natsu's grudge match interrupted your confession?" At least, he assumed it was a grudge match, otherwise there was hardly a need for Natsu to loose such incredible power.

"..." Sasuke just nods. "That mindreading thing you do, it's getting disturbing."

The elder brother chuckles. "What kind of brother would I be if I did not traumatize you regularly? You still have an immunity to build up."

Yeah. He didn't know how to process that. "Well at least she liked my tattoo." That had to be something, right?

A slight crinkling of the nose accompanies Itachi's disapproving expression. "Yes, well, I suppose there is at least that. It would be unfortunate if the woman you desired found your appearance unappealing. Even if you insist on drawing all over your skin."

"It's only one arm and a little on my chest." He shrugs. Sasuke honestly didn't think he'd gone that overboard with it. "Besides, Shisui did both of his arms."

"For now." Itachi rolls his eyes. "And just how long will it be before her name graces your skin, along with little pictures of fluttering fairies?" He was quite aware that tattooing could be an addictive process, he'd seen it more than once over the years, people building up a vast collection of the artwork. But Sasuke's skin had been so pristine…

Oh boy. Itachi really hated his tattoos. "These are all the tattoos that I'm getting." He shrugs. "Besides, if Natsu could actually stop destroying the city for five minutes and I could talk to her, getting more tattoos would be the last thing on my mind." Assuming she saw him as anything other than a kid and returned his feelings, of course.

Itachi's expression softens a little, well, softens into exasperation, anyway. "Yes, I'm sure that you would have much more on your mind. However…if ever you do plan to get another…please wait until you're a little older." He wasn't entirely sure that eighteen was a good age to be making those sorts of decisions at, but Shisui had indulged Sasuke's birthday request last year, so… "And if you do want any fairies, for the love of all that is sacred, do NOT put them on your ass." Now that is where Itachi would draw the line and resort to genjutsu to have his way.

"It disturbs me that you're imagining tattoos on my ass." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "I deliberately chose spots that wouldn't be awkward later on. I'm not that foolish, Itachi."

"Well, I wouldn't put it past Shisui…" Itachi had been slowly becoming concerned in the last few years that Shisui had far fewer limits than were advisable. "In any case, what's important is that you escaped from THAT mess unscathed." He looks out the window towards where the Crocus Gardens are smoking. "Do you have any idea what set him off?"

"Considering it's coming from Sabertooth, I imagine he's upset about them kicking out Yukino out." Sasuke sighs at the depressing thought. "Not that I can blame him. If anyone deserves to be smacked around besides Raven Tail, it's Sabertooth."

"While I agree with the sentiment, fighting with another guild outside of Domus Flau could be grounds for disqualification." Itachi eyes Sasuke cautiously. "It's best that you refrain from taking measures into your own hands until the games are over."

"I know. I know." Sasuke glances in the direction of Sabertooth's inn. "Though I don't think Natsu cares."

"No, that he does not." Itachi was plenty familiar with the sense of justice that Natsu possessed, and if something had been done to wrong Yukino, in addition to simply expelling her from the guild, well…then is was obvious as to why Natsu would be sticking up for someone who, only hours ago, was his competition. "It is, after all, Fairy Tail's belief that if someone is in your guild, then they are family. And nothing is a worse insult to them than not taking care of your family."

He sighs, knowing that was the truth. "I hope they don't get disqualified." It was out of their hands though.

"I hope so as well." And Itachi had a feeling that Sabertooth as going to be even more motivated now to win this competition. "Perhaps it is only me, but I feel as though tomorrow, we will face Sabertooth." They hadn't fought in the combat portion yet, and Blue Pegasus was a crowd favorite, so it wouldn't be unexpected for the two guilds to finally have their showdown.

"I call Sting." That idiot had it coming. "You should probably handle Rufus though." He tilts his head thoughtfully at the musing.

Maybe, but Itachi had a feeling that Sting and Sasuke would have to wait to have their match. "You may have to fight Natsu for the chance to fight Sting. Or perhaps even fight Sting in order to keep him from fighting Natsu." After all, those two had been gunning for each other since before the games even began.

Sasuke shrugs at that. "Fine by me. As long as he gets knocked on his ass, that's good enough." He didn't understand why Itachi had to be so pessimistic sometimes.

The elder chuckles at his brother's attitude. "I'm certain that by the end of this week, Sting will have been sufficiently knocked on his ass." One way or another, Fairy Tail would certainly see to that.


	13. Chapter 13

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Poor Hibiki, this is going to hurt. Anyway, as Fairy Tail fans know, next up is Pandemonium and the MPF. I don't think there's much to say about the events, other than that. But hold onto your hats, this is going to be awesome! Just as awesome as the match-up decided at the end of the chapter. And to warn all of the FT fans, we're going to be going fairly off-canon from here on out in terms of the team rankings. Because, let's face it, Blue Pegasus is going to get a ton more points than in canon with Itachi and Sasuke fighting for them. The final rankings are going to be fairly different.

 **Chapter Notation:** Thanks for the reviews. Sorry, Hibiki. It was really nothing personal. Anyway, there are no line breaks in this one and we hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 13

"I'll go." Hibiki straightens out his pink shirt, grinning for the lacrimas. Pandemonium had just been announced, and the first competitors were heading to the field.

Sasuke nods at that. "Alright. Be careful." To say the least, the event's name sounded rather ominous, but Hibiki deserved his shot too!

Hibiki wasn't the only familiar face down there, Itachi's eyes flick to the armored Fairy on the arena floor. "It seems that your Fairy is going to be participating." And somehow, he had a feeling that no matter what Hibiki did,there was little chance of defeating Erza in any contest of strength or of arms. Then again, perhaps it would be one of intellect, in which case, they might both place high. And Erza wasn't the only Fairy on the ground. "Both of your Fairies." Cana was joining the fray as well.

Sasuke nods at that. "Erza told me she'd be competing today." He didn't necessarily expect Cana though. "I've never actually seen Cana fight before. Well other than barroom fights." He idly wonders what kind of magic she has, but was more distracted by Erza.

"In that case, our teammate has his work cut out for him." Shisui sighs at that knowledge, though he did give Cana a rather appreciative glance. "Well I'm sure he'll do well enough to keep us competitive though."

"Yes, let's hope so." Because if there was one thing Itachi knew, it was never to underestimate the women of Fairy Tail. They were an exceedingly dangerous bunch.

As the referee begins explaining the rules, Itachi's stomach sinks a little. A hundred monsters within the castle of Pandemonium, and the number of monsters that you were able to defeat would determine your score at the end of the contest. What complicated things, however, was that as the ranks of monsters went up, five in total, they got exponentially stronger. "…Perhaps Hibiki was not the wisest choice to send down to represent us." The man was intelligent, of course, but fighting monsters on his own was not his strong suit.

"I'll admit that he's at a disadvantage, but this does involve some strategy." Sasuke watches with anxious eyes. "I think he can perform decently, but his odds of winning aren't great."

Shisui nods in agreement. He shared his cousin's concerns. "Though it's our collective score as a team that matters. So even if we perform poorly or modestly well in an event or two, we could still win at the end." Which was exactly what he expected his guild to do.

However, when it came down to the drawing of the straws, the lineup began to take shape. The last to go would be Cana, but the first…Erza. And Itachi could already sense something wrong in the air. "Fairy Tail is going first…" That could only spell trouble.

"Well...I guess it's about time they had some good luck." Sasuke frowns. He knew that such an occurrence likely wouldn't end well for Hibiki. "Let's see what happens." It wasn't as if they had any other choice.

A choice of any number between one and one hundred as Erza approaches the castle, not even waiting for the referee to finish speaking. And as though sensing her intent, the lacrimas zoom in on her, projecting her image and voice for the entire crowd to hear. "Inside this castle wait one hundred monsters…" She stops at the bottom of the steps, dropping her straw into the sand. "I choose to challenge…all of them. My challenge right is one hundred." It was an impossibly bold move by the Queen of the Fairies.

Shisui blinks at that and places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Don't worry. She's survived worse than this." After all, she had survived a dragon attack.

"I know." That didn't mean that he wasn't worried though. "Challenging all of them?" Sasuke sighs, wondering what she was thinking. Well he KNEW what she was thinking, she wanted to rack up points for her guild, but this was a dangerous way to do it.

Itachi, on the other hand, was just as stunned as the crowd. She was challenging ALL of them? Just one of the weakest was fifteen times her size, and could crush her under its foot with ease.

But there was nothing to be done as she walked inside, declaring her challenge, and was surrounded by a hundred, vicious, magically projected monsters. And every single lacrima was trained on only her.

Then, she struck.

First, a favorite requip of hers as she takes the high ground, the silvery, winged, Heaven's Wheel armor. And with it, she rained a hail of death and destruction on them with a flurry of winged, silver swords. And in seconds, seventeen of the gray, D-Class monsters fall under the onslaught of her flying blades.

Shisui blinks as he watches that in awe. "Sasuke, never forget your anniversary or that woman's birthday, if you manage to win her over." Or he'd be dead.

"I wasn't going to!" He glares at his cousin for his advice as he watches Erza begin to face off against the monsters. "She took out a lot of the weakest ones in one strike." It was a clever move but there were still a lot of them to go and they were only going to get stronger.

"That wasn't the point." Ren stares at the screens as the Queen requips into her Flame Empress armor, countering a monster that starts breathing fire at her. "She's being smart about it. She's testing them out, learning how to beat them. The first attack wasn't meant to be effective." But as more monsters began to fall by her hand as she bounced around the inside of the castle, it was obvious. "It was just setup for all of this."

Pulling her Sea Empress sword from another dimension, she counters fire with water, cutting through the red, C-Class monsters with impunity, knocking off several of the remaining D-Class along the way.

Sasuke blinks as he realizes Erza had just done three Requips in only a couple minutes. "Is she going to go through all her armors?" She was certainly changing at a daredevil speed.

"That…very well may be the case." After all, every armor and weapon had an advantage and a disadvantage. And based on only the first couple of minutes, Itachi was certain that this was going to be a battle of both power and intelligence. "She'll use whatever she deems appropriate, I would guess."

And appropriate was apparently deemed to be her Sea Empress armor, to deal with the blue B-Class monsters, as she cuts down over thirty of them with the spear of her Lightning Empress set, arcs of lightning racing out in all directions. However, infallible, she is not, as she's slammed against one of the spiky walls by one of the B-Class monsters she had missed.

Shisui winced at that. Both in sympathy for the Fairy Queen and his cousin. His cousin who looked like he had been the one who was hit. "She's doing amazingly. The old witch can patch her up easily." He tries to reassure him and Sasuke nods as his dark eyes scan the seen anxiously.

But despite the savage strike, and quite a few bruises, Erza's revenge is swift and devastating, the spiked black sword of her Purgatory armor, paired with her Speed armor, a light, leopard-patterned outfit that turned her into little more than a blur as she cuts them down to number only forty-eight. She was on the warpath, and while she had been slowed somewhat, she had NOT stopped.

Itachi's eyes widen as he watches the numbers drop one, by one, by two, by three, the Fairy Queen requipping left and right, combining armors from her Lightning Empress, Giant, and Adamantine sets with a wide variety of weapons, including several pieces that he'd never seen before, not in all of his visits to Fairy Tail so long ago. "She…is truly a master of her magic. It must take great power to use so many forms all in a row."

She continues to tear into the horde, her fatigue beginning to show, but not daunting her at all as more armors make their appearance. All of her classics were coming out, and it was for all of the world, the stunned audience, and her insanely loud, laughing teammates to see.

"I've only seen a handful of them before." Sasuke watches in awe. He had no idea that the woman had so many different armors. "She must have dozens." And her stamina was incredible.

The numbers continued to shrink, right into the single digits as Erza abandoned all armor for simple red cloth pants, and bandages wrapping about her chest as the cuts down the last two of the B-Class monsters, the last A-Class, and comes face to face with…one, tiny monster, hardly bigger than her own head.

Crimson eyes narrow at the sight as Itachi turns his Sharingan towards the top of the castle. It was hard to see, but thanks to all of the practice he'd had, he could see enough to tell him that this was not good. "…Mato said that there was only a single S-Class monster, correct?" That's also what the screen said, and there it was…a single, tiny monster.

"I think...it's a lot stronger than it looks." Sasuke doubted that one would be the only survivor, if it was truly fragile.

"It's good at dodging, that's for sure." Ren's eyes stay fixed on the tiny monster through the lacrima, as the tiny creature begins to glow. "…That's not good." Typically, when things glowed, that was a bad thing. And an indication to run as fast as you could in the opposite direction.

And a bad thing it was, as the tiny creature grew to be over fifty feet tall, flying through the air with Erza as the two of them dueled, two swords on what amounted to a giant suit of armor, all the way up to the dueling arena right at the top of the castle, where it proceeds to pin Erza against one of the pillars, trying to crush her under its foot.

"Damn it!" Shisui's eyes widen as the thing expands and Erza was suddenly nearly crushed. "She's too drained to go up against something like that!"

Sasuke would normally be inclined to agree, but this was Erza. "She'll figure something out. Another armor maybe." His gaze never leaving her.

But it was clear to many, including Itachi, that Erza simply didn't have the strength left to summon an entirely new armor, not after the three dozen requips she had already employed. No, she had to end this now, and she had to do it quickly. Because that was part of the catch, according to Mato. When all other monsters had been defeated, the S-Class monster tripled in strength. Too strong, perhaps, even for a Wizard Saint.

And all Erza had was a single sword. A sword, against the crushing power and vicious claws and teeth of the horned nightmare. And that…was all she needed.

Summoning one last burst of strength, Erza throws the giant foot off, raising her sword and leaping into the air, her whole body a blur as she cuts and slices at the monster, going first for its clawed fingers, its body, and its giant horned head, landing far behind it as piece by piece, it crumbles at her feet.

And the crowd went WILD. "That…was…UNBELIEVABLE!" Chapati's voice rings across the arena, the judge astounded by the display of will and power. "Erza Scarlet has singlehandedly defeated all one hundred monsters! Fairy Tail A sweeps today's contest in an absolute, undisputed victory!" It was something never seen before. "Let it be known, we've just witnessed history! The strongest guild from seven years ago has returned from the grave!"

Sasuke sighs in relief. He was tempted to Flicker down there and take her to a healer, but she'd probably smack him for that. "Thank the gods and goddesses." She was too proud for that. Though hopefully, one of her guild mates would immediately. He doubted she could even stumble off or care.

As the castle disappears, all of Fairy Tail A races down onto the field, startling Erza as she's transported back to the ground, battered and bruised, but smiling, her spirit unbroken.

Itachi had to admit once more, his foolish little brother had very good taste. "I would suggest, Sasuke, that you take Shisui's advice to heart." This was not a woman to be trifled with. "Should you do anything to upset her, I doubt even I could protect you from her wrath."

"I don't know why you both assume that I'd upset her!" He was close to flailing, but his dignity wouldn't allow it.

"Because women are easily upset, and way too high maintenance." Ren shakes his head. "Troublesome, the lot of them."

"Says the man who is engaged." Sasuke rolls his eyes. "You want your fiancee to beat you, don't you?" Was Ren a masochist?

The man shakes his head. It was the truth, Sherry was even more high maintenance than your average woman. Constantly spouting things about love and what not.

But on the floor, as Erza is carted off by her team, after being wrapped up in a great team bear hug, Mato the pumpkin-headed referee disappears. That concerns Itachi greatly. "With Pandemonium completed on the first turn, they'll require another way to rank the teams."

Shisui blinks at that as he realizes something. "They have to come up with an entirely new event." This was madness.

"Then let's hope that it's something better suited to Hibiki." If it was another contest based on strength, well…Ren couldn't see that going well at all. But at least Erza had gotten them a shot at maybe placing higher.

"Well I doubt whatever they pick is going to involve a hundred monsters again." That one had obviously required a lot of planning, Sasuke thinks to himself. "They need to come up with something quick that the crowd won't complain about."

"Probably not something complicated." Eve returns to the gallery, having been getting himself some snacks while watching Erza's match from a distance. But he notices just what's coming out with Mato. "But it looks like the odds are still stacked against Hibiki." That is, if the MPF had anything to do with the next contest.

"Why do you say that?" Shisui frowns in confusion. "Do you know something we don't?"

Eve nods. "Just watch."

Mato toddles over to the wizards on the floor, the blue crystal ball hovering on its also floating stand as the lacrimas focus in on the referee. "Okay, after some deliberation, we've decided that the seven remaining teams still need to be ranked. So we're having another contest. This game might be a bit on the boring side compared to Pandemonium, but I think it'll suffice."

"A Magic Power Finder…" Eve cringes at the sight. "The Rune Knights use them in training." He'd used one himself back before he joined Blue Pegasus, as a member of the knights himself, working for the magic council before moving on to a guild.

"Is that as simple as it sounds?" Sasuke blinks. Could that thing actually measure the strength of someone's chakra? "So it's just based off raw power?" If that was the case, Hibiki was fucked.

"It's as simple as it sounds." Eve sighs, shaking his head. "Which means that of everyone on our team, Hibiki is the last person who should be down there." Unfortunately, there were no substitutions, not even as Milianna of Mermaid Heel stepped up first for her team, scoring three hundred and sixty five. "Well, that's pretty good since she doesn't seem like the raw power type."

"What's the scale on one of those things?" Shisui glances. "What's the highest possible score and what's considered average?" He had no idea what three hundred and sixty-five actually meant, and neither did his cousins.

"Well, it's pretty high in the Rune Knights. You could be a squad captain with that kind of score." Eve laughs sheepishly. "So…I hit that easily when I was about thirteen." Then again, he'd always been something of a magical prodigy.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. "I see, so a relatively good score, then?" Eve nods in response as the next contestant steps up, Novali of Quatro Puppy, the name awarded them after yesterday's bet between Bacchus and Elfman went through. He scores one hundred and twenty-four, much to the amusement and ridicule of the crowd.

"I feel a little bad for that guy." Sasuke sighs as that. "Not everyone's magic is linked to raw power." And he had to be feeling rather humiliated by now. "Though I'd like to see what the audience's score would be. I doubt it would be in the double digits."

"Well we know one thing. A hundred and twenty-four definitely isn't a good score." Shisui tries to hide his own amusement. "Though three sixty-five is reasonably good."

Still, Hibiki approaches the MPF, undaunted, smiling brightly for the crowd. Ren shakes his head at the sight of their optimistic teammate. "This isn't going to go well."

"Not at all…" Eve closes one eye, cringing as Hibiki hits the MPF with his magic, scoring…a measly ninety-five points. "Yeah…that's about what I expected. Hibiki's smart, but when it comes to attack power…" Well, he just didn't really have any. He could knock out unsuspecting twelve year-olds, but that wasn't hard, really. This was just the kind of competition that you sent in dragon slayers for, not yesterday's fiasco.

Sasuke winces at the score. "It's not the size of the attack points, but how you use them?" That score was bad though. They were going to have to do well in the next contest and battle to make up for that one.

"Not today…" Ren shakes his head, watching as the representative from Raven Tail, Obra, approaches the MPF.

It was by far the strangest of the turns, as Obra did nothing more than stand there and open his cloak as a tiny creature flies out of it, smacking head-first into the MPF for a score of four points.

Itachi narrows his eyes at the sight. That had to be some sort of trick. He doubted that any member of Raven Tail would actually be nearly so weak. Something was wrong. Perhaps this Obra possessed little attack magic, and his was of a more…sinister nature. In fact, if he recalled correctly, this is the teammate that Flare had looked to at the end of her match with Lucy, after the girl's magic had been drained.

Very suspicious…

Ren crinkles his nose as Orga, the representative from Sabertooth, approaches the MPF. "This should be interesting, though." The giant green-haired man, the one who wielded black lightning. "You might wanna turn those eyes of yours on for this, kid."

"Stop calling me a kid." Sasuke glares at Ren, though he does as instructed nonetheless. "What's so special bout this one?"

"He uses lightning. You might learn something." Not that Orga was much older than Sasuke, but Ren figured that Sasuke could learn something from a lightning specialist. "And when Laxus finally gets involved, make sure to watch him as well."

Sasuke was getting really tired of these insinuations that he was somehow still a child and automatically weaker than others. "I could say the same to you, Ren." Irritation aside he watches the one known as Orga carefully.

"Well, when someone uses wind magic, I'll be sure to watch them." It made sense to Ren as Orga gathered lightning all around his hands down on the arena floor. "This isn't going to be good." That was a lot of magical power.

"Well he's being pretty flashy." As expected of someone from Sabertooth. "Though so far it isn't anything particularly unusual." He could gather lightning in his hands as well. Which meant that this was either a high intensity old fashioned attack or the Sabertooth had a trick up his sleeve.

Shishi watches with practiced eyes. "Well let's wait until we see the reading before we assess." He chuckles. Those two always fought like cats and dogs. Sasuke and Ren.

The One-Twenty Millimeter Black Lightning Cannon. That was the name of this particular attack. And unlike all of the rather weak attacks that came before it, the horizontal pillar of pitch black lightning blasts the MPF with such force that static electricity hangs in the air as an after-effect. Enough to make Ren's hair stand up a little. And when the dust clears, his eyes widen. "Almost four thousand!?" The MPF had clocked in at Three thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.

Sasuke blinks at that. "I'm going to say that counts as a Kage Level attack." If three hundred something was good, four thousand must have counted as incredible.

"Cana will have her work cut out for her." Shisui shakes his head, wondering if the busty Fairy had anything in her arsenal that could top that. "But it looks like Jura is up next." He was a Wizard Saint. A concept that Shisui didn't fully understand, but he understood it definitely was a title reserved for only very powerful wizards. "This should be interesting."

"Yeah, no kidding." Eve edges towards one of the walls. "You guys might wanna hold on to something. You know, just to be safe." It was what he was doing as Jura stepped up to the plate in a rather traditional white kimono, gray hakama, and brown haori. Eve really wasn't looking to get blown away by this attack.

Personally, Sasuke thought that Eve was overreacting, but he humored him. "Alright let's see if the Wizard Saint lives up to his reputation." Sasuke had heard a fair bit about them. In this world Dragon Slayers and Wizard Saints seemed both have rather famous or infamous reputations depending on who you asked.

"Very well." Shisui felt that might be overstating a bit, but he holds on. "Though after that last attack, I feel it would be rather difficult to top such a thing."

Ren and Eve exchange a knowing look as they brace themselves, potent magic already filling the air. It was like molasses, the way that the air thickened with the Wizard Saint's power.

And then, came his booming voice across Domus Flau. "Rumbling Mt. Fuji!" The resulting pillar of light expands, engulfing much of the arena floor, along with the MPF, shaking the entire mountaintop arena with the sheer force of the magical attack.

"What the fuck?!" Sasuke blinks as the place shakes. "He knows that this is a competition, not a war right?!" He understood showing off, but this was ridiculous!

Shisui was having very similar thoughts to his cousin. "I hope that the foundations of the stadium are sturdy." He could foresee this actually causing some construction to come loose like during an earthquake, and someone getting killed by falling debris!

Well, Itachi certainly understood what the title of Wizard Saint now entailed. This man was clearly on another level, compared to much of the competition. "That was…illuminating." And he was rather glad that he had heeded Eve's advice, and braced himself for the attack.

As the dust clears, the MPF stands there,the numbers rolling, finally settling at eight thousand five hundred and forty-four. Eve laughs sheepishly. "I'm starting to think that maybe Wizard Saints shouldn't be allowed to compete."

Sasuke loved a challenge, but for at least half of the field, going up against someone like that could easily prove fatal. So it was rather lucky that the man had a kind, honorable, and easy-going demeanor. "That or there should be some restrictions to prevent an earthquake." He pauses and decides to correct himself. "Or I guess a Saintquake, in this case."

"Yeah…that's probably a good idea…" Eve sweatdrops. "I mean, seriously, this is why they don't let the guildmasters compete." Now that would just be a clusterfuck.

Itachi eyes the last competitor carefully. "Cana Alberona…" He'd met her on a few occasions, and she was fairly powerful in her own right. "She'll likely finish behind Orga, perhaps score one or two thousand." It really depended on how much power she pumped into those cards of her. Cards that…wait, was she stripping? …What?

"Not this again!" She wasn't actually going to challenge the other contestants to a beauty contest, was she?! "Not after what happened with Jenny and Mira." Sasuke groans.

"I wouldn't estimate a woman like that. Her body language screams confident." So did the bikini top in Shisui's eyes, but he wouldn't say that in front of Itachi. "Which is odd, given that Jura scored so well. So she must have something up her sleeve." He ponders out loud.

"She's not wearing any sleeves!" Sasuke snaps at his cousin. "She's barely wearing anything at all!" What was with these wizards?! Were they all a bunch of closet strippers?!

Shisui rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "Well you know what I meant. Her lack of sleeves really isn't the point." It was cute how easily flustered Sasuke got about that sort of thing. Likely, still reeling form his recent Sharingan activation and he probably felt it was 'cheating' to look at other women or something. "Anyway, let's see what she can do."

"It's time for the grand finale!" An emblem on Cana's right forearm glows as she grins widely. "Assemble, river of light that's guided by fairies!" The air around her begins to glow a bright, blinding gold. "Shine, to perish the fangs of evil!"

The air was light and heavy with magic at the same time, every particle vibrating with power as a giant golden ring surrounds the arena, contracting and racing down towards the MPF. "Fairy…GLITTER!" And the resulting explosion…well, it's impossible to see anything at the center of it.

"Fairy Glitter?" Sasuke blinks as he watches the display in confusion.

The name was deceptively innocent. "I wouldn't argue about the name." Shisui was blinking as well. "It seems that...she likely won that competition." Fairy Tail Team B had just made its presence known in a big way.

Itachi would have to agree, as the dust settles, revealing four residual nines in the air, and a very much absent MPF. There was only a scorch mark left in it's place. "…Shisui, do try not to upset her. I would hate to lose my favorite cousin." Her victory…drove the crowd absolutely wild. "I'm not entirely sure what Fairy Tail feeds their women, but it is clearly extremely effective."

"I wasn't going to upset her!" Now Shisui knew how Sasuke felt!

Smirking, Itachi turns his eyes back to the floor as the rankings are presented. Fairy Tail had taken the top two spots, and unfortunately, their own team had taken seventh. Only a single point would be awarded for that performance. Not that he blamed Hibiki. It was just bad luck, such as the dragon slayers yesterday, being forced to face their own weakness. "Let us hope that whoever is picked for the battle portion will be able to win us points today."

Ren had fought, Jenny had fought before returning to the bench. That left him, Eve, Hibiki, and Sasuke who could be picked. And as the contestants below cleared the field and the first of the battles was announced, the emblems for Sabertooth and Blue Pegasus flashed through the air. Along with a picture underneath each emblem.

Well, well, well…

"Good luck, Itachi." Sasuke smirks at his brother's misfortune. "Try not to choke on all that hair spray he uses." Shisui just laughs at that, but gives his cousin a nod of encouragement.

It was certainly a good match-up. Itachi…could hardly ask for a more fitting opponent. He did rather want to put the pompous fool in his place. "Well, hair spray can be quite flammable…" And that really was quite a lot of blond hair. It looked to be almost twice as long as his own. "I'm sure that my choking on it will be the least of his worries."

"That's the spirit!" Shisui gives him a thumbs up! "Now, go and show him what a real strategist can do!"

Oh, he would… Itachi smirks subtly as he turns to leave the gallery. He had a Tiger to hunt.


	14. Chapter 14

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Okay, warning you all now, we're gonna be a bit mean to Rufus. And by us, I mean Minerva. But…you'll see. Anyway, time for Itachi vs. Rufus! And this is where canon really gets thrown out the window (originally, it was Eve vs. Rufus, and the poor guy didn't stand a chance against the Tiger). So, against one of the most OP magics that the Fairy Tail universe has to offer…let's see some Uchiha badassery! And, a surprise at the end for you all.

Chapter 14

It was a smug, arrogant smile that made its home on the younger wizard's face as he took the field. He'd heard of this one before, Itachi Uchiha, one of the more mysterious members of Blue Pegasus, and the least flashy of the trio he made up with his younger brother and older cousin. Yes…he'd memorized much about this particular foe prior to the start of the games. "You are the one known as the Tsunami, are you not?" A curious nickname, but one that implied a great deal to do with water. The elements, they were simple enough forces to bend and conquer.

"I am." There was no point in Itachi denying what was likely very common knowledge. "And you are Rufus. The King of Confidence as they say." And the one who had cost Eve a very legitimate win in Hidden.

Rufus chuckles. "I believe that you have mistaken me for Sting. I am, as they say, the Minstrel Who Sings to the Red Moon, Rufus Lore." It seemed that he had already put off his competitor, good. "So, shall we settle this like civilized gentlemen?"

He was Ridiculous as far as Itachi was concerned. What a pretentious and ridiculously long name. "Well it seems we have something in common then." He activates his Sharingan. "A fondness for the color red." And if he continued to irritate Itachi, red would be the color of that Arena. "And yes, that is always preferable to barbarism. What did you have in mind?" Though he highly doubted it would be all that civilized the man's verbose nature might very well be his undoing. There was every chance that he might slip up and tell Itachi something useful, even if it was only on accident.

Well, now that was a rather interesting trick. The Sharingan, if he recalled it correctly. He had heard it mentioned before, but the tales were few, and he had not had the chance to see one up close until now. He would be sure to memorize that… "Simply, that you withdraw." Rufus tilts his hat slightly. "No one will blame you for conceding to Sabertooth." After all, they were the most powerful guild in the kingdom for a reason. "There is no reason to dispute who would be the victor. Forfeit, and I will allow you to walk away."

"Well that is a kind offer." His eyes narrow at the thought. "I refuse though. Of course, I will extend the same offer to you as well as a courtesy." Sabertooth, he was going to be a declawed kitten when Itachi was done with him.

"Is that so?" Rufus' eyes glitter menacingly. He may be known as one of the more sophisticated members of Sabertooth, but he was no stranger to harsh combat. "Then it would seem that we are at an impasse." He was here to win, and nothing less than that would do, after Sting's failure yesterday, and Orga's poor performance in today's competition. He raises his hands towards his head, two fingers pointed to each temple. "Very well, then." His body began to glow with power. "Memory-Make: Karma of the Burning Land!"

It was nothing short of an inferno as a single gloved hand touched the floor of the arena. Spurts and gouts of fire erupt from the ground, growing ever larger as they fan out from Rufus' location, aimed straight for Itachi

"Yes, it does seem we are at an impasse." Karma of the Burning Land, well Itachi could only presume that meant a fire attack of some sort and he was soon proven right. "That is quite impressive, but using a fire attack against someone named Tsunami wasn't a wise move." He smiles as he launches his own attack. "Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"

A large dragon formed out of water appears seemingly out of nowhere as it smacks its mighty tail over the flames over and over again, quickly turning them into nothing more than steam. "It's flashy though, I will grant you that."

"As is yours…" Rufus' eyes glitter as he watches the giant watery dragon. How interesting, a very different kind of magic to those he had seen. Still… "Memorized." He would simply turn it right back at his foe. With a twist, of course. "Memory-Make: Black Lightning Dragon!" Using Orga's black lightning, and the water dragon he'd only just witnessed, he turns a twisting, watery serpent, infused with the dark lightning back on his foe.

He had expected that. The clone turns into nothing more than a splash of water, while the real Itachi launches a powerful kick to Rufus's back. "You act as though I haven't seen you copy other people's magic before. Demonic Illusion: Crow Mirage!" He had suspected that Rufus would copy and attack. So he produced a Water Clone in advance.

The kick, however, went right through the image of Rufus, before it shimmered and disappeared, the true body almost phasing into existence some distance away. "In that case, you should have known that I would leave only the memory of myself there for you to attack." But his opponent was no mere grunt. No…this man was clearly going to be a challenge. Rufus love challenges…

A torrent of crows suddenly launches itself at Rufus. Idly, Itachi wondered if this world had genjutsu or not. "Time to end this." Or how long it would take his opponent to realize what was going on. Though Itachi was in no mood to waste time. The sooner he took Rufus out, the better. With that in mind, he prepares some water bullets.

"I was aware of that, but you weren't aware of one very important fact. One isn't required to call out the names of their attacks." And so was the case with his Demonic Illusion: Mirage Crow Technique. "I do hope you aren't allergic to birds." The most useful aspect of this genjutsu was that one didn't even need eye contact to wield it against an opponent and so, he was easily able to use Rufus's arrogance against him and unleash a torrent of crows at the other man.

As the crows swarmed about, Rufus could feel something…wrong with his magic. It was as though it was swirling in an entirely different pattern than usual. So, he resorted to his usual tricks, the mind. From what he understood of the Sharingan, which was not very much, to his dissatisfaction, was that it granted the bearer quite a number of extra powers. One of which, from watching the older cousin, was the power of illusion.

Therefore, he deemed it wise to ignore the birds racing around himself, and focus his efforts instead on finding a way to break it. After all, why focus on something that wasn't real? "A fine attempt, but I know that your family have the ability to wield illusions." His fingers were at his temples again, the air glowing around him as the wind picked up, accompanied by a breath of biting cold.

He said nothing to that. Trust the trickster to figure that one out. It was getting cold, so Itachi decides to warm the area up. He takes a deep breath and expels it, activating the Great Fireball Technique. His Clan's coming of age Jutsu and one that should deal with Rufus's cold attack well enough. Nearly the entire Arena was engulfed by the blaze, save for Itachi and it was hurtling towards Rufus as the crows continued their distractions.

Frustrated by the annoyance of the birds, Rufus glows once more. "Very well, since you refuse to remove them…!" From around him burst a plethora of blindingly bright spheres, twisting and warping with sparks of lightning. A Night of Shooting Stars, the same spell that he'd used to win the competition on the first day. And now, those stars raced out in all directions, hurtling like meteors around him, and targeting not only the birds, but Itachi himself. That way, he would leave no room for error.

"Animal abuse is not likely to win you many fans." Itachi clucks his tongue disapprovingly as his birds are "killed" and he summons a series of shadow clones. The clones effectively serving as a shield of sorts, taking one hit before disappearing, but allowing him the precious time he needed to dodge effectively. "You do seem to favor that spell though." He likely had a wide variety of spells at his disposal, but the man's flare for the dramatic could be used against him, Itachi decides.

"I'm sure that they will forgive it once you are beaten and lying in the dirt." Because Rufus was all out of mercy, and while the challenge made his blood boil, he quickly found his patience to be running out. By now, he should be trouncing his opponent, not…locked in some sort of stalemate. He could not remember a time in recent years when such a thing had happened.

He shakes his head. "Then I suppose you shall never be forgiven, if that is the case." Perhaps, a more simple jutsu would work best. He expel water from his mouth, using his chakra to create the Hiding in Mist Technique. The mist was so thick thanks to Itachi's chakra, that Rufus would essentially be fighting blind.

To distract him further, Itachi summons more crows to attack him all at once from multiple directions at once to confuse him. "I hope Sasuke will forgive me for borrowing one of his technique." His voice barley audible even to his own ears as he uses the mist and crows as a distraction for the real assault. The lion's barrage.

Blind was right, Rufus couldn't see a thing through the mist. And for some reason unknown to him, his superhuman perception was reduced to…nothing. Something had blocked him from sensing the other's presence. And though he was silent, attempting to hear his opponent, there was no sound to be heard, not even a whisper. It was…unsettling, to say the least. "You've chosen to try and hide yourself, then?" His hands moving once more, the wind picks up again, this time, swirling itself into a small army of tornadoes designed to disperse the mist.

That was regrettable, but Itachi was already in position. "I'm afraid you're too late." The tornadoes likely wouldn't be directly above him as he could get hit by his own attack. "You should have yielded." So he felt reasonably confident this would be enough to end this. SMACK! BAM! CRUNCH! He levies a series of bone crushing kicks and punches at the blonde, all meant for one thing. Putting the man on the ground.

Pain was the last thing that Rufus felt before his chin hit the ground, his body feeling like it was nearly crushed under the force of the other wizard's assault. But…it couldn't be. He was a member of Sabertooth, the strongest guild in Fiore. He wasn't supposed to lose to a wizard from some half-baked lesser guild…he couldn't lose…Sabertooth wouldn't allow it.

"Incredible!" Chapati cries out across the arena. "It seems that Itachi Uchiha of Blue Pegasus has manage to do the impossible! He's defeated Rufus Lore of Sabertooth! Mr Yajima, could you have ever predicted such an upset!?"

"Mmm…can't say that it's the first thing I thought I'd see today when I woke up, but those boys certainly know how to put on a good show." The elderly judge may have been stating the obvious, however.

Despite a member of Sabertooth falling, and one of their most popular, to boot, the crowd was going wild at the victory. And not just the audience, but several of the other teams as well. They had thought it would be a cold day in hell when Sabertooth was finally dethroned, but it looked like winter was on its way.

Itachi smiles as he returns to his team. Not even sparing Rufus a backwards glance. After all, that was likely the greatest insult he could have given him.

Hibiki grins widely, clapping Itachi on the back. "That was incredible!" If it had been anyone else, there's no way he would have believed that just happened. Itachi had just…he'd done the impossible! "How did you manage to concentrate enough magic in that fog to mess up his perception?" He'd been watching the fight with Archive, and the readings he'd gotten were almost inexplicable.

"Oh it's a technique from our land, one village specialized it. Though really, almost anyone could do it, given enough practice." Itachi smiles at him serenely and he looks at Sasuke almost apologetically. "I'm sorry that I had to use your technique. I hope you weren't too annoyed." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"You really are such a copycat." Sasuke rolls his eyes, but he smirks anyway. "It's fine. If anyone needed a beating, it was him though and you got us some badly needed points."

"How fitting that the copycat used a technique called the Lion's Barrage then." Shisui chuckles at his pun. "Though I imagine that should get Itachi's She-Devil's attention rather nicely." Which prompted a nice round of flailing from the normally stoic ninja-wizard (or was it wizard-ninja).

Hibiki and Eve laugh loudly at the sight, Ren just quietly shaking his head with a smirk. Well, if nothing else, their team was far from boring. They might not be at the same energy level as Fairy Tail, but there was no denying that their guild could be rather loud when it wanted to be.

Thankfully, for Hibiki, Itachi's success meant that instead of ending the day with only one point, they were ending the day, adding eleven to their score. Adding in the ten from Sasuke's competition round yesterday, and the sixteen points from the first day, they were now sitting pretty at a total of thirty-seven points.

Fairy Tail's teams would come to sit at twenty-seven and thirty points. It was a VERY good day.

* * *

To celebrate their successful day, and kicking Raven Tail out of the games, as well as Sabertooth to fourth place, Fairy Tail took it upon themselves to throw the loudest, most obnoxious party they could at the Sun Bar. Sitting at second and third behind Blue Pegasus, their epic comeback was definitely taking off.

Which, of course, only encouraged Natsu to get very loud about the totally one-sided fight that was Laxus and Raven Tail. One-sided, because like hell was Laxus gonna lose. "That was awesome! You totally kicked ass out there!" Though there was still the fact that Natsu had needed Gray to explain to him that the fight they were watching, with Laxus getting his ass handed to him, was an illusion. Smug little Ice Princess…

Laxus smirks with a hint of smugness as he sits back in his chair. "Of course, I did." As if there was ever any doubt. It was obvious that his father didn't understand the true meaning of what it meant to be a guild. "Any guild that resorts to underhanded tricks is always going to get their asses handed to them in a fight. He might be my father, but I wasn't going to let them get away with what they did to Lucy, Gray, and Wendy. Not to mention what they tried to do to Asuka…" Now that was REALLY crossing the line.

"Yeah! You got them good!" though Natsu had only gotten to see a small part of the fight, meaning, the finishing move, and Laxus crackling with lightning as the old man went down. It was crazy awesome! "We're totally making our comeback!" Just like he promised on the first day. They started with nothing, and now, the only way to go was up. And were they ever going up.

Mira smiles sweetly at that thought. "Yes, we are." Though some rather unorthodox methods at times, but still they were gaining on their competition rapidly. "I imagine we'll be able to win the entire thing at this rate. Though Pegasus seems to be doing rather well this year too. Which is good because now that Raven Tail is gone, Sabertooth is the team that needs beaten the most." Repeatedly by any team that could.

"True, however that means that currently, our competition is no longer Sabertooth." Erza had her doubts about whether or not Sabertooth would be able to recover from their failure to gain much in the way of points over the last two days. Perhaps the competition was simply stronger this year. Though with the Tenrou Team returned, and two of the Uchiha competing for Blue Pegasus, she suspected that she knew why. "while beating Sabertooth is important, we mustn't lose sight of the other teams now filling the spots left open by Sabertooth and Raven Tail."

"Relax and have some cake." Cana chugs down a flask of God only knows what. "We're doing great and if all else fails, we can always have another Beauty Contest and distract them. That's like their catnip or something."

Somehow, the redhead doubted that holding another beauty contest would be allowed after the…interesting circumstances surrounding the first one. Besides, tomorrow was the fourth day, and some of the other teams would undoubtedly be desperately out for points. Still, the idea may have had some merit to it. "Perhaps." And she did rather like her cake. Especially since the timing was perfect, and the cake was just now coming out from behind the counter. "But we should still remain prudent. Our success today may not be so easy to keep if we become complacent."

"We won't get lazy, don't worry." Mira assures her with a bright, confident smile, and the hint of a giggle. "It's just not good to tense up either, Erza. You should try relaxing sometime."

"Yes…you're right." After all, she did have her guild mates to rely on. " Wendy also did quite well today. She has proven her strength as a dragon slayer, I'm sure." Erza was so proud of their youngest dragon slayer, she'd taken on a god slayer and dragged the battle out to a stalemate. For being the least experienced member of the team, she'd done them quite proud.

"Yeah!" Cana beams at the reminder. "The kid did alright!" She waves her flask in celebration of that. "So relax. We can do this!" She smirks as a thought occurs to her. "At least the crowd is on our side now."

"Yes, it is." And it was something that Fairy Tail had been missing out on for a long time. They had always been the most rambunctious, most destructive, but still most popular guild because of their strength. And it was time for them to retake that status.

"Speaking of crowd favorites, Juvia wasn't the only one with groom." Mira couldn't resist teasing Erza. "I think that one of Pegasus's Stallions might have a case of a bad case of Puppy Love." That or maybe, Sasuke hadn't wanted Erza to be "alone" when there were so many couples around. Mira wanted to believe it was the former though! That would be far more fun!

"Mira, be nice." Erza shoots her friend and rival a look over the top of her cake. "He's uncomfortable enough without you spreading gossip about him." There was no question who she was talking about, and if nothing else, Erza would at least try to protect Sasuke's pride. But…if she wasn't the only one who sensed it…then maybe she'd been right after all?

She puts up her hands and feigns innocent. "I wasn't spreading gossip. I was just talking with you two!" Besides, everyone saw Sasuke down there with Erza, even if he was standing at a more "respectable" distance than the other grooms, that was bound be noticed at least by some people. "Besides, it's not like it isn't public knowledge now." Luckily, Gray kicking Lyon out of the way, Asuka's and Wendy's adorableness, the Exceeds, and other factors had "saved the day" as far as major gossip starting about the Queen and youngest Stallion was concerned. "Anyone who was watching my fight with Jenny, probably noticed."

Right, like Erza was just going to believe that. Mira was too friendly, and too talkative to keep anything a secret for long, unless it concerned the safety of Fairy Tail. And this sort of thing…most decidedly did not.

* * *

Frosch. He loved that cat with all his heart, but sometimes, the little guy was just asking for trouble. "Ro…Fro wants to see Rufus!" How was he ever supposed to say no to a face like that? All green and cute, and wrapped up in his pink frog onesie.

Still, this was dangerous, and for reasons that Frosch was just…too innocent to comprehend. But not Rogue. No…he knew the risks in getting involved in this. Jiemma's punishments were one thing, but Minerva…she was even more sadistic than her father. Rogue could only imagine what she'd done to Rufus after disappearing with him. And though he couldn't show it, he did hope that it hadn't taken too violent a turn. "…Fine…we'll go to check on Rufus." He couldn't deny his little buddy anything.

"Yay!" Frosch skips ahead down the hall, Rogue following closely behind him as they pass room after room, all of them housing the various members of Sabertooth. But all was dead quiet, save for Frosch's tinkling voice in the hall as they approached the door not too far from their own, where Rufus, hopefully, should be staying inside.

Approaching with caution, Rogue raises his hand to knock on the door, seeing as Frosch's passed paws barely made a sound as he smacked them against the wood. "Rufus?" His voice is low, not a whisper, but not nearly as loud as his little buddy's. then again, he doubted that anyone would be listening anyway. Most of the guild was hiding out in the rooms out of fear of the wrath of their master.

"Rogue?" It surprised him that Rogue was seemingly coming to check on him, but he pawns that off to the fact that Rogue had always seemed a bit softer than the others or perhaps he imagined that due to the silly cat that hung around the dragon slayer. "Don't come inside. I…am hideously unpresentable at the moment."

The beating hadn't been enjoyable, but those bruises and cuts would heal, as would the cracked ribs. Jiemma's anger, he could take. "I can't believe that even she was this cruel." He fumes as he looks at himself in the mirror, the last part just a whisper. "She cut off my hair!" His once luxurious, hip-length golden locks were now cropped to hang about his face. He looked ridiculous! It was humiliating.

Rogue's eyes widen at the whisper, his hearing just sharp enough to pick it up. Nevertheless, he turns away from the door, scooping Frosch up into his arms. "Come on, Frosch, let's go." There was more than one way to check on a reluctant teammate.

"But Ro…" Frosch eyes the door over Rogue's shoulder as he's carried back towards their room. He was worried about Rufus. Everyone was being so quiet, and it scared him.

Could he even use magic to grow this back in time for his next public appearance?! Maybe, he should try to find Freed. Freed might know a spell. That hair couldn't possibly be natural, could it?!

"Rufus…" A shadow materializes within Rufus' room, ejecting Rogue and Frosch from the darkness. And the dragon slayer's eyes widen as he takes in the damage.

"I told you not to come in!" He had warned him! Why hadn't Rogue listened?! "Next time, you should listen to me. Now, unless you have a way to fix this catastrophe, kindly leave me be!" How could he ever face his fans looking like this?!

Well, he couldn't fix the lesser of the two problems, but Rogue could still do something as Frosch jumps out of his arms, toddling towards Rufus. "No, I don't." But judging by the bruises blooming from under Rufus' torn collar, and the little bits of blood here and there, hair was the least of the real concerns. Jiemma hadn't smacked Rufus around THAT much. Most of that had to be Minerva's work. "But you need basic medical attention, at least." He produces a first aid kit, a small one, easily concealed under his long, dark cloak.

Frosch, on the other hand, stumbles his way to Rufus, attaching himself to the wizard's calf. "Is Rufus sad…?"

Rufus sighs, even he didn't have the heart to tell the adorable feline to leave him be. "I'm more humiliated than sad." He glances at Rogue. "I don't need the pity, but seeing as you likely will not give me a moment's peace until treat my injuries, I'll merely borrow the kit and return it to you when I am finished using it."

"No! Fro wants to help!" The little green cat toddles back over to his human, reaching for the medical kit. "Like Ro does to Sting!"

Knowing where this is going, Rogue rolls his eyes and opens the kit, pulling out a roll of bandages, and a tube of anti-bacterial ointment. It was about as close to healing magic as you could get, without being a Sky Dragon Slayer, but Rogue had a supplier up north that he could get a reliable stock from. "It's Frosch's idea, don't blame me for it." And maybe…he wanted to make sure that his teammate was okay. That he'd be fine, come morning. "And the team will suffer if you're too injured to participate on the last day."

"Fine. Just get it over with." Could this day possibly get more humiliating, he thinks to himself.

Rogue nods, taking out another roll of bandages, seeing as Frosch would only be able to work so fast with his tiny paws. He motions for Rufus to take off his jacket and sit down. It was kind of ruined anyway. The hat was intact, somehow, and hiding a fair bit of Rufus'…'problem'. Odd, for the lady to leave that intact, when she had punished him so thoroughly. "Show me the damage.

Rufus grumbles, but dutifully shows where the worst of it was. "My pride was what they truly killed. These injuries will heal swiftly enough." And then, he would get some payback.

Rolling his eyes, Rogue sets about working on wrapping up the cuts and bruises that littered Rufus' arms and shoulders, and even a few that managed to find his neck. It as far from the worst he'd seen, since having Sting for a partner meant getting into some rather ugly situations. But…those bruises on Rufus' chest had him worried. Not that he showed it. "Does it hurt to breathe at all?" Pale fingers prod along his ribs slightly, looking for fractures, just in case.

"It does somewhat." He shakes his head at the thought. "I imagine I have a cracked rib or two, but such a thing will heal."

"In a couple of weeks, it will." Rogue had seen more than one injury like this. Most of them on his partner. "If it's bound up properly, you should be fine to fight." And bind it up, he would as he unrolled another length of bandages, securing one end, and handing the roll off to Frosch. The cat begins to wiggle around, circling Rufus with the bandages. "If you take too strong an impact to the chest, they could break, so be sure to dodge whatever comes at you."

He nods at that. "You don't need to worry about that." He made a mistake in underestimating Itachi. Rufus wouldn't do that again. "My next opponent won't be so lucky."

"Maybe…" Rogue wasn't so sure. Even if he hesitated to say it aloud, except to Frosch, Sting, and Lector, he wasn't comfortable with how their guild worked. It fostered strength, but no compassion. And, as proven in Rufus' match, that strength was not infallible. "…This might be Sabertooth, but we're still a team. We're supposed to be able to lean on each other for support." Even if that sort of weakness was reviled in their guild. "If you need help…ask."

"Don't let Minerva or Jiemma hear you talking like that." He glances at Rogue in surprise. "Or you'll be banished from this guild faster than you can blink. You know that Sabertooth is based on strength. Not sentimental notions." The blond shakes his head. "While not necessary, I do appreciate your help though."

"…Would it be so bad?" Rogue tucks away the remaining supplies, looking Rufus over one more time, satisfied that his injuries have been tended to sufficiently. "Fear, strength, and ruthlessness. That's how things are done here. What Jiemma and Minerva did tonight is proof." And he hated it, he chafed under it. He couldn't understand how Sting could stand it. "Are we a guild, or an army?" Fairy Tail was a guild…they were a family. But Sabertooth…they didn't even know the meaning of the word.

"Are you saying you wish to leave the guild?" He gapes at Rogue in shock. Of all the things that he had ever anticipated the other man saying, that had been the last on his mind. "You really wish to leave the strongest guild in all of Fiore?" Granted, they were doing poorly in the rankings at the moment, but they would mount a comeback. "A couple of bad performances doesn't change the fact that we are the strongest guild, Rogue. Never doubt that!"

"Maybe…" Rogue reaches for Frosch, tucking his little buddy into his arms as he rises to his feet, backing away from his teammate. "Or maybe Natsu was right, when he said that we need to treat each other like we're a guild." Like they hadn't done for Yukino. "I don't want to leave Sabertooth. But that doesn't mean that we don't need to change." And with that, he turns towards the wall, melting into the shadows as he disappears from sight.

"He seems to forget Frosch is the cat." Rufus shakes his head at the thought. "Rogue doesn't have nine lives. Dragon Slayer or not." And that's what he would need to deal with the wrath of Jiemma and Minerva, if he started sprouting those idealistic notions in front of them.

* * *

A world away, Mikoto looks around at her clan warily as her husband explains the plan. "Years ago, Itachi, Shisui, and Sasuke went missing." Today was a day that was years in the making. The day when the truth would finally be unveiled to the remaining members of their family.

"Now, we know where they went." He sighs, his brows furrowed and for good reason, it had taken far too long to discover the truth, and now, what faced them was a grim choice. "We've finally discovered the note that Itachi left us years ago. It seemed they did not die in the chaos of that night." That horrible night when everything had changed. "They evacuated so to speak."

A hush fell over the crowd. No one dared to talk about Shisui, Itachi, and Sasuke since the day they went missing. Even if they had wanted to, the chaos that had followed left little time to focus on much else. For a time, they had been able to negotiate a fragile peace that had lasted for a few years. It took all their focus just to maintain it, but eventually even Fugaku and Mikoto hadn't been able to maintain it. It was what had led to their even more fragile state and now dwindling numbers.

There had been factions within their clan. Three or four depending on how one looked at it. There had been those who wanted to keep the peace. The second group wanted to fight. Still, another wanted to flee. And finally, there was a small group of Uchiha who couldn't decide on what course of action they wanted to take and just tried to stick to the shadows. Today, such behavior wouldn't be tolerated. A choice would have to be made.

"The note was rather concise." Likely written in a hurry. "Essentially, the Stone Tablets have a way out of this dimension." Fugaku pauses and appears to be steeling his resolve. "It is a risk, but according to the note anyone who chose to follow them would end up where they did." That wasn't very reassuring and he knew it, but it was something. "We do know that the Jutsu was designed to take us to a place compatible with human biology though." He'd read it on the tablets himself, before deciding to come forward with the news.

And it had to be, otherwise the Sage would never have lived long enough to write about it. Still, that was something. He didn't feel like going to another dimension just to choke on poisonous air. "We've come to the following decision. Some of our people will stay behind in case this doesn't work." There was a chance it wouldn't. "And some will come with us in search of our missing kin. This way the Clan will be divided into two halves. Which will increase the chance that at least in one, perhaps in two dimensions our family line will carry on."

Mikoto nods at this. "We will not hold it against anyone who chooses to stay here." The Clan Matriarch felt the years of strife weighing on her. "Though you will have to make your decisions soon. Tonight, those who wish to go will pack and we shall leave in the morning at first light."

Either to their doom, or a new dawn.


	15. Chapter 15

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Alright, here comes the Naval Battle event, and Minerva…is going to piss a lot of people off. But that's what she does. Luckily, she's not going to get off so easily in this story, not after pulling the shit she has.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Well obviously, the Uchihas are here. Some are canon and some are original characters. Most of the OC's will receive cameo's or moderate roles to help prevent overload though. Anyway, we hope that you enjoy this chapter though I feel it's only fair to warn you that there is a lot of family fluff and silliness coming up soon ;).

Chapter 15

Natsu turns a little green at the name of the next competition. Naval Battle. Boats, that meant boats. And after all of the barrel surfing last night, and the disaster that was Chariot, he wasn't looking forward to anything that had to do with vehicles. "You sure you wanna do this, Lucy?" That, and the huge bubble of water hanging in the middle of the arena didn't really make him feel a whole lot better. Fire was his thing.

"Yeah, don't worry, I got this." Lucy was just itching to get in there. She had to make up for her poor performance on the first day, after all. "Just watch, I'll bring our team home a bunch of points!" Maybe even ten! Now THAT would be awesome.

"You can do it!" Wendy smiles at her. "Do you're best and show them what Fairy Tail is made of!" She wished that she had brought home a win instead of a tie, but she was sure that Lucy would do htem proud."

So, as the rules of the game were explained, it was off with the clothes and on with the bathing suit, and with the bubble so close to the galleries that it was easy for the girls from every team to just jump right into the floating sumo ring. Those were the rules, it was an underwater sumo match between the seven remaining teams, and the last one in the bubble won first place.

"I seriously think they just use every excuse possible to get them into bikinis." Sasuke rolls his eyes. Though Juvia obviously had an advantage in this one. "How good a swimmer is Jenny?" He glances at his teammates a bit apprehensively.

Shisui chuckles at that question. "She's quite good. I wouldn't underestimate her, but you really shouldn't be saying that like it's a bad thing." He smiles at his cousin as if he found Sasuke's reaction amusing. "What's wrong with a little fanservice?"

"You're a damn pervert." Sasuke swats his cousin upside the head. "Cana needs to glitter cannon some manners into you." Or whatever that explosion of glitter power had been called earlier.

"Alright! Alright!" He smirks at his cousin. "Though I imagine you wouldn't mind if Erza was one of the contestants down there" He couldn't resist teasing Sasuke sometimes. "Anyway, Juvia and Minerva are the ones to watch. Juvia because of her water affinity and Minerva because she is one of Sabertooth's strongest competitors and known to be rather sadistic."

"Yes…sadism seems to be a rather common theme in their guild." Itachi glances over towards the Sabertooth balcony, taking note of one smirking dragon slayer, and one smirking god slayer. The quieter of the dragon slayers, however, was staring at the water grimly, whilst the last member of their team appeared to be doing his best to hide. And he felt himself wondering just what had happened yesterday, after Rufus had been defeated. "Well, it would seem that there is less noise in their gallery today."

"I wonder why." Sasuke smirks at Itachi. "Well we know one thing, they didn't banish Rufus from their guild." Not like they had that one woman. "Probably because they're getting low on numbers." Shisui nods in agreement as he turns his head back to the Naval Battle that was about to start.

It was quite a collection of ladies, and one outnumbered Rocker from Quatro Puppy. The poor man went completely unnoticed and unappreciated by the crowd, as well as the judges. That was especially the case as the quiet before the storm ended, and the first moves were made, surprisingly, by both members of Fairy Tail. Even more surprising was that Juvia and Lucy's attacks were directed at each other, courtesy of one bikini-clad mermaid, Aquarius the Water Bearer, one of Lucy's Celestial Spirits.

"Juvia is going to win this fight for Gray!" Juvia pushes out massive amounts of magic into her water attack. Determined to take out Aquarius! Which was no easy task! "You can't beat me, My Rival!" She was still completely convinced that Lucy was after the ice user.

"I already told you, I'm not your rival!" Lucy had just about had it with Juvia constantly believing that she was out to steal 'her man'. Like hell! Besides, he was Natsu's man, obviously. And if Juvia couldn't see it, which obviously she couldn't, then she needed to seriously get her eyes checked. "Aquarius, get her!"

"Ugh, we're evenly matched!?" This was not how this was supposed to go, and Aquarius was getting impatient and pissed. "Alright, that's it, I'm out!"

"What!?" Lucy couldn't believe this. "You're ditching me!? Why!?"

And, with a big, smug grin on her face, Aquarius looks around at Lucy. "Because I've got a date with my man. And he's HOT." And just like that, she disappears, leaving Lucy high and dry in the water.

"It was a nice try, but it's just you and me now!" Juvia's continues firing off her attack. "For Gray!" She couldn't believe that Aquarius had bailed either, but now was her chance!

Gray's face pales as Juvia's enthusiasm rises to new heights, proclaiming her love for him in a new attack that she hurls at their guild mate. It was…horrifying. Absolutely horrifying. Especially to thing of her directing any of that 'Gray Love' directly at him. She was…soft, and squishy, and eager, and…it freaked him the hell out.

Natsu glances at his rival, raising an eyebrow. "You okay, Gray? You look like you're gonna be sick."

Gray wanted to find the nearest hole and crawl into it. "I t-think so! Why can't she leave me out of her attack names?!" It was so…embarrassing and how was he supposed to tell her why he couldn't be with her? That he was essentially cursed?! People died around him!

"Do ya need a barf bag?" Natsu was starting to get serious worri- "Oh hey, Juvia tossed three of them out!" Juvia, Lucy, and Minerva were the only ones left in there now. "Oh, right, you need that bag?"

"Nah, I think I'm okay." He blinks as he watches the match. "Well that's good." He'd rather it be Team A, but Team B was definitely preferable to Sabertooth. And damn…Natsu had such a short attention span sometimes.

* * *

On the other side of the arena, Itachi's eyes glow red as he watches the contest. The Sabertooth woman was still in the battle, and that was not good news for the two Fairies remaining. She was going to pull something, he just… His eyes widen as the feel of her magic changes, going from dormant to active. He'd gotten good at figuring it out over the years, even with the shift from seeing chakra to seeing magic. Only two other people had those familiar flares of chakra, though even those were blurring with the integration of this world's magic.

And that's how he knew that Minerva was playing dirty when her magic flares, and Juvia is suddenly dropped outside the bounds of the sphere to land her in third place. "…It seems that Sabertooth has made their move."

Shisui's eyes widen at the sudden change in events. "More like, they made their opening move." He had a sinking feeling that Minerva was just getting started.

"You know, I actually feel bad for Juvia." Sasuke shakes his head. "The woman doesn't have a chance with him and she's obviously a powerful wizard." She was just too easily distracted.

"Powerful, and yet, unable to understand when a man is simply not interested." It was something of a plague, and one that Itachi knew well. After all, working at Blue Pegasus meant that you had women trying to flirt with you almost constantly. But this situation with Minerva worried him, especially as the magic in the bubble of water grew immensely, accelerating as soon as Lucy showed the first signs of defying Minerva.

"I don't like that look." Sasuke frowns. "She looks as psychotic as Flare." More controlled in her sadism, but still. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Lucy does seem to have…rather bad luck when it comes to matches." Shisui sighs as he watches the blonde with anxious eyes.

Bad luck was an understatement as Itachi's eyes widened. The assault was starting. Minerva was not the type who took well to defiance, and Lucy was defying her at every turn. Worse still was when Minerva snatched up Lucy's keys, before proceeding to use some sort of dimensional magic to create pockets of heat within the water, pockets powerful enough to explode at the slightest command. "…She's planning to beat Lucy to within an inch of her life." He'd seen that sort of look in the eyes of criminals before. Before killing them, of course.

Shisui couldn't disagree with the assessment. What he didn't understand is why. "She could easily win this match. It isn't to play for the crowd." The crowd was horrified. There was a difference between a good fight and torture. "Is it because Lucy didn't immediately surrender?"

"That has to be it." Sasuke nods. There was only one other possible explanation. "That or she's just a sadistic bitch." Though the two weren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

Lucy's screams could be heard from underwater, the bubble magically constructed so that the competitors could breathe inside it. But now, they were on a time, a five minute timer that was ticking down until the end of the sudden death round. If Minerva kicked Lucy out of the bubble before the timer finished, Lucy would finish in last place. But if she didn't…then Itachi wasn't entirely sure that Lucy would survive this. And without the knock-out rule in place in a watery bubble, it was up to Lucy to either surrender, or win. And judging by the force of the kicks that Minerva was now driving into Lucy, the latter was not going to be an option.

There was blood, and there were angry and fearful cries from the crowd as laughter emanated from two of the Tigers in their gallery. Sting and Orga, with crazed grins across their faces, roaring with laughter at the display, while Rogue and Rufus had their heads turned away from the sight. And the murderous looks of Lucy's team were unusually dark for Fairies. The Tigers…had just declared war.

Hibiki stares at the sight, expression anxious, angry, and his hands clenched until his knuckles turn white. "They have no idea…what they've just done."

"She's going to kill her at this rate!" Sasuke watches in horror, half thinking of trying to break up the match. "Lucy can't take much more of this." Was she even moving?

The judges didn't know either, and as the timer finally ran out, there were calls from the judges, and many of the other wizards to stop the match. And finally…when Lucy no longer moved, the referee called it, and Minerva slowly…painfully slowly, let Lucy hang out of the water, bloodied and bruised, and no longer conscious.

"Lucy!" Natsu and Gray's voices rang out across the arena as Minerva let her fall, Lucy's teammates rushing to save her from the fall, making it just in time to stop her from hitting the ground.

Shisui winces at that. "Well at least it's over now." Though he didn't fancy her odds of being able to fight anytime soon. "She's lucky to be alive."

"Something's off." Why had they allowed the fight to carry on to such an extent. "The match was called too suddenly." Maybe, someone had stepped in behind the scenes. A judge who didn't want Sabertooth's reputation damaged? He didn't know. "Itachi what kind of magic was she using?" Though he did know one thing, that witch needed to be taken down.

"Some sort of dimensional magic." At least, from what Itachi could tell. "She can control the properties of space. And it seems that she has honed her talent to the excess." He glances at Hibiki. "And what do you mean by 'they have no idea what they've just done'?"

The Archive wizard's gaze darkens, his purple eyes falling on Minerva as she slides down the side of the bubble to meet the enraged Fairy Tail wizards. "They've harmed a member of Fairy Tail." And two of her teammates, Sting and Orga, jumped down to defend her as Natsu and Gray got ready to attack. "They've just declared war with the most destructive guild in the kingdom." Maybe even in the world. "Fairy Tail doesn't get vengeful over a whole lot, but when they do, you want to be as far from the line of fire as physically possible."

"We might have to go down there." This could turn into a bloodbath. "It's getting out of hand fast." Sasuke's eyes scan the confrontation warily.

"Did I not just say that you want to be as far from this as possible!?" Hibiki puts his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, trying to impress the seriousness of the situation upon him. "Do you really want to get between two dragon slayers?" It was suicidal, really, to get in the middle of a confrontation between those who used Lost Magic. "Besides…" From the looks of it, there was no need to intervene. "It looks like Erza's planning on handling this." Though judging from the look in the redhead's eyes, this was not going to be a particularly peaceful armistice, even if she was making to hold her teammates back while Wendy and Chelia tended to Lucy.

"They might stop, if another guild gets in the way." Especially an allied guild. "I just hope she doesn't do anything stupid." That would get her disqualified or cause someone to die. (Well other than Minerva, Sasuke would be quite happy to send her straight to Hell himself).

"Erza's not the type to do something stupid." Ren glares down at the scene, watching as the mighty Titania issues her own declaration of war. "But Sabertooth is, and now they're going to pay for it." And he knew that for a fact. The look on her face made shivers go up his spine.

Hibiki nods. "They're going to find out very soon what it means to cross Fairy Tail." After all, there was one guild that Sabertooth hadn't fought yet, that the crowd was going to be begging for now. "They've started their fight, and there's no way the crowd is going to want anything but a continuation during the tag battles." That was going to be today's main event. "I give it a ninety-eight percent probability that the last battle of today is going to be Fairy Tail and Sabertooth. And Fairy Tail is going to be out for Minerva's blood."

Shisui didn't see a problem with that. "Well in that case, she had best hope whoever intervened on Lucy's behalf, does the same for her." If the entire guild was gunning for the woman now, Shisui didn't fancy her odds of winning. No matter how powerful she was.

Itachi hoped not. "I doubt that very many would mourn if she were to be…removed." He wasn't usually one who enjoyed violence, in fact, when possible, he preferred to remain a pacifist. Doing that as a wizard wasn't quite as difficult as it had been while he was a ninja, but still…there were some time when that darker part emerged. Specifically, when he knew that someone couldn't continue to exist and spread their cruelty to the world.

"She'll get what's coming to her soon enough." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the wizard. "Minerva just made an enemy out of anyone not in her guild, with any sense of fair play."

But judging by the look on the face of her dark-haired teammate, perhaps not only outside of her guild.

* * *

True to their word, Mikoto and Fugaku had left with ten other Uchiha as soon as the sun rose that morning, their number a dozen strong. With heavy hearts, they had bid farewell to their kin and clung to one another for dear life as her husband activated the jutsu that would take them to a new life.

One that she could only hope would be far away from the strife that had existed in their own world and hopefully, they would be able to find Itachi, Shisui, and Sasuke. In the end, when the spinning had finally stopped, they had appeared within a truly magnificent city.

The buildings were made of stone and wood, decorated with glass and crystal, and garlands of flowers draped across bridges and important-looking structures. The people walked the streets joyfully, shopping and chatting. There was a distinct air of peace in this place, and it felt very different to the place they left behind. It was happy and alive and warm.

They had wandered around it for hours, attracting much attention due to their foreign clothes which were considerably less colorful than the locals, before they came across a shop that had several bright screens in the windows. "Oh, gods and goddesses! Fugaku! Look!" Which soon had the Uchiha Matriarch gasping in shock. "Everyone look! It's them!"

There on one of the screens were two boys, one with bright golden hair, and the other with hair as dark as a raven's wings. On another screen were two groups, one with a large number of rather burly men, and the other with a selection of younger adults in their twenties. And two of them were incredibly familiar. "It's them! It's really them!" Years had passed and most wouldn't have recognized them, but Mikoto knew. A mother always knew (or an aunt as was the case with Shisui).

The Uchiha patriarch's eyes travel across the screens, eyes widening considerably. The two elder boys, he recognized. But the one on the field, the one who appeared to be in the center of an arena with three other young men…well, there was no denying whom he looked like. He looked just like Mikoto. "Sasuke…"

And it appeared that, for one reason or another, he and the blond boy were about to do battle with the man with the strange hair and black clothes, and the one in the purple armor decorating his arms and shoulders. "They're alive…" He'd hardly dared hope until just a little while ago that they were still alive. And yet, there they were, all three of them. Alive and well, and fully grown. Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui, their images being broadcasted across the screens in this shop window.

"Yes, they are." Mikoto's voice was barely above a whisper, but the same couldn't be said of Fugaku's parents. "We have to find out where they are." Who were cheering so loudly, it was starting to attract more than a little attention.

"Of course." And Fugaku knew just how to do so. He had been the police chief at one point, and he knew how to speak with civilians. So, he pushes open the door to the shop and walks inside, spotting what looked like a shopkeeper, or at the very least an assistant, at the counter close to the back of the store. "Excuse me, I was wondering if you might be able to tell me where I could find the place from the floating screens?"

The shop owner looks at him in confusion. "Well every screen in the city is probably showing the Grand Magic Games." He spoke a bit strangely and his clothing was peculiar to say the least. Maybe he was a late spectator to the Games though. "They're being held up at Domus Flau. The wizards' coliseum."

The Grand Magic Games? Fugaku had no idea what it could be, save for some sort of…competition, perhaps? Games usually implied more than one player. Was Sasuke a player in these games? "I see. And the boys on the screen? Are they competing in these games?"

Mikoto by this time had followed her husband inside and the shop owner smiles at her as he looks at the tv. "Well yes, of course. They're in the Arena." He chuckles as if that should be obvious before taking a closer look. "Those boys are from Blue Pegasus. You can tell by their emblems. Blue horses." The thought seemed to amuse him. "I suppose it matches the name of their guild well."

"Blue Pegasus, I see." Fugaku nods, not really understanding what a blue horse had to do with anything. "Thank you for your help." He turns away from the shopkeeper, nearly running into his wife in the process. "Mikoto…" Honestly, his wife was not nearly patient enough. "It seems that they boys are at a coliseum, participating in some sort of contest on behalf of a 'guild' named Blue Pegasus."

"Yes, I understood that much." She nods at her husband. Honestly, she loved the man, but he did suffer form at least one common disadvantage that seemed ingrained in men. "Excuse me sir, but could you give us directions to this coliseum?" The raven haired woman smiles at him sweetly. "We're not from around here and we'd very much like to see the games." For some reason, it just didn't occur to her lover to ask for directions to the Games! Though admittedly, he had done a fantastic job figuring out quite a bit before that.

The shopkeeper chuckles at the sight of Fugaku's chastised expression. Apparently, the man could read between the lines of the woman's question. Hm…he saw rings, husband and wife, then. "Yes, the coliseum is off to the west of the city. If you hurry, you might be able to catch the last match of the day." At least, at any normal pace. "It's too bad that you arrived so late, this year's Games are almost over."

Mikoto smiles at the shopkeeper. "Thank you, for your help." She takes Fugaku's hand in her own. "Well better late than never. Come, we should tell the others." The woman tries her best to feign knowledge of what the man was talking about. "It'd be nice to see the final match of the day. Your mother and father would be especially thrilled."

"Yes, quite." Fugaku could just imagine the looks on their faces. "Then we should move quickly." He didn't know if this was the first match, or not, but he doubted it was the last, seeing as the four combatants on the screens had only just begun to move, the announcements finished. "If we try, we should make it there in less than one minute." After all, the city didn't look nearly as large as the entire Leaf, and they were all more than capable of flickering. Even his parents.

"Yes, you're right." Mikoto quickly rushes outside with her husband. "We've found out their location. Hold onto our hands and we can all Flicker there." Thankfully, the people they had brought with them, quickly locked hands with each other as Mikoto and Fugaku were the only ones who really knew where they were going. "We have to hurry." And with that, they took off for the coliseum.

It was an interesting series of Body Flickers, to say the least. There was a lot of ground to cover, and they saw quite a few spots of the city as they headed west, taking only a second to look around before disappearing again. And by the fourth flicker, they could see the coliseum perched on top of a huge spire, four statues ringing it. It couldn't be anything but their destination.

Thirty-seven seconds after leaving the shop, the twelve touch down inside the arena, up behind the highest seating areas. And while the screens in the city had been a decent size, enough to make out people clearly, the screens projected into the air above the arena floor were massive, showing the fight to the entire crowd in stunning detail. And now, there was no mistaking it. The young man with the blue-white lightning flickering around his body was undoubtedly Sasuke. Almost nineteen years old, with a blue emblem of a horse's head and a pair of wings on his left shoulder, and tattooed flames swirling up his right.

"He's far too young to have a tattoo." Aiya shakes her head and clucks her tongue disapprovingly, but she smiles nonetheless. "I always knew that he would grow up to be a very handsome young man though!"

Kenji chuckles at his wife. "Eleven years and your first comment was on his tattoos?" Women. He'd never understand them. "At any rate, we have a problem." He gestures towards the massive stadium. "There are probably tens of thousands of people here and Sasuke is clearly down there and I imagine there is probably security in place to keep fans from just walking up to competitors."

"Perhaps…" Though Fugaku didn't see any. "In any case, I doubt that anyone is allowed to approach the arena floor while there is a battle going on." And judging by the growing amount of…was that snow? It was snowing in July? But that should be impossible, the weather was lovely.

But snowing it was, courtesy of Eve, who was starting to blanket the entire arena floor in the white, powdery substance, aiming to chill and slow their opponents, while Sasuke's lightning kept the snow off his partner. "Go on, Sasuke! I've got you covered!" Eve knew well that he couldn't take hits very well, but Sasuke could, which is why their plan was for Eve to stay back, using his magic to run interference and as support, while Sasuke stuck it to the pervert and the cannon fodder.

"Thanks!" Sasuke smiles at Eve as he leans down slightly on the ground. His Chidori current was already radiating along his body to keep the cold away, but by touching the ground, he could spread it and increase the range of attacks. " Chidori Current!" Hardened flesh or not, Sasuke doubted that Rocker would appreciate being electrocuted. With any luck, this should knock him out with one hit.

The lightning races along the ground, followed by the Eve's chilly magic. Rocker was fast, Bacchus even faster, but only one of them was able to outrun the combined attack. Eve grins as the lightning current arcs out of the ground, shooting up Rocker's ankle, and paralyzing him long enough for the icy cold wind to wrap itself around his body, freezing the puppy in place, even as Sasuke's lightning made it impossible for him to move. Nothing lethal, of course, they weren't Sabertooth, but as the icy shell closes over Rocker's body, it was obvious that he wouldn't be rejoining the battle.

"Well they certainly work well together." Mikoto smiles as she watches the battle. "Though I'm still not sure what they're competing for." Which would be nice to know, but for now she would just enjoy the show.

Well that was one down. "Good shot." Sasuke just had to hope his teammate would be ready to deliver the second. "Fireball Jutsu: Phoenix Flower Style!" As he created a volley of small fireballs and hurled them at the other man. They were controlled by his chakra, so it was easy to "chase" him. "Now!" And while he was distracted with that, Sasuke figured that Eve could finish Bacchus off with something nonlethal. He didn't entirely trust himself not to use more force than was strictly necessary because his stupid bet with Elfman still left a sour taste in his mouth.

The Drunken Hawk wasn't a pushover, and his evasive maneuvers were top notch, but it would be hard for anyone to battle while fighting the elements. Let alone grab a drink in the middle of running for your life. Especially when right now, the elements were threatening to electrocute him, burn him alive, or freeze him solid!

Eve was on top of everything, though, his snow magic already creating drifts and slippery ice patches all across the arena, well beyond the patches of field touched by Sasuke's chidori. He wasn't as good at creating a floor of ice as Gray or Lyon, but he could get creative and manage well enough. "It's time for you to give up, Puppy!"

"You think so? That's not wild, man!" Bacchus leaps over several patches, grinning from ear to ear as he ducks under another fireball. Yes, this guy was extremely frustrating. And even Eve, sweet, patient Eve…had had about enough of this. They'd been chasing the guy for over a minute already, and he was bored. If Bacchus wanted to play hardball, he'd play hardball. "Total Whiteout!" It was his go-to spell for rough situations.

Bacchus streaks towards Eve, trying to take out one of them and thin out their power. Big mistake, as he not only is forced to dodge yet another barrage of meteor-like fireballs, but he runs head-first into Eve's blizzard.

Sasuke watches as the man charges straight into Eve. He was ready to dart in to assist, if necessary. Though he wanted to give his frosty friend the chance to deliver the knockout. The guy deserved it after Rufus had "stolen" his rightful victory on the first day.

It was funny, actually, because as Eve jumps back and ducks to the side to dodge the attack, since he couldn't take a hit for shit, snow billows up around him, catching Bacchus directly in the middle of it. And when it clears, the S-Class wizard is revealed to be a rather scary-looking ice sculpture. Well, minus his face, Eve wasn't the sadistic type. …Usually.

Fugaku eyes the sight of the two boys, rather impressed by the ease with which they ended the battle. Because though the first opponent seemed average, the second, judging by the movements, was a practiced taijutsu expert. So, it made sense that powerful elemental attacks would be his weakness. "They did very well." While there was not a vast amount of power used, the skill with which is was done was by far the more important part.

Kenji blinks at the fight. "Well that was damn good teamwork." His little grandson was all grown up and hurling fireballs at people. He couldn't be prouder.

Chapati's voice rings out across the arena. "And there you have it, Folks! Today's first match ends in a deep-freeze! The blazing Inferno, and the Holy night's snow! Sasuke Uchiha and Eve Tearm earn Blue Pegasus ten points with their tag battle victory!"


	16. Chapter 16

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Warning: extremely long reunion chapter.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. There are no linebreaks in this chapter because it's all one big scene. Oh and we couldn't resist playing off Blue Pegasus's flirtatious nature to cause a little mischief. You'll see what I mean soon. Happy reading!

Chapter 16

Up at the back of the stands, the Uchiha look on in awe and slight confusion. "How are we going to get to them?" Aiya was happy they had won their match without a scratch, but still.

Fugaku looks around, scrutinizing the scene. Activating his Sharingan, he scans the Arena for the chakra of his eldest son, finding it on one of the balconies overlooking the arena. Similar balconies held what looked like the other teams. And with their match over, Sasuke and his teammate were disappearing into one of the tunnels lining the arena floor, likely to return to their teammates. "I believe that Sasuke is finished for today, and it seems that neither Itachi or Shisui have any plans to move from their location, so we could pay them a visit on their team balcony."

"Do you think that they would allow it?" Mikoto tilts her head at the thought. "Could it really be that easy?"

Fugaku stares at his wife blankly. "We are shinobi. I believe that we are more than capable of finding our sons without being seen by whatever passes for security here."

"Well we really don't know what abilities these people have either." Kenji's eyes scan the crowd in an alert fashion. "Still, I'm inclined to agree. We may never get another chance." Upon hearing this, the other Uchihas nod. "Lead the way, my son."

Choosing his wife and his father to accompany him, Fugaku leaves the eight youngsters in the care of his mother as he flickers his way into the network of tunnels hidden by the arena walls. The long, circular hallways seemed to be patterned to lean out to the galleries, and to open areas with stands which sold a rainbow of different kinds of food that he'd never seen before. This world was so different to the one they'd left behind, it was almost…magical. "They should be three galleries down from here." At least, if the map he'd made in his head was guiding them properly.

Mikoto sticks close to her husbands side as does Kenji. The elderly grandfather might not directly say it, but it was obvious that he was feeling just as anxious as she was about this new place. "Do you think they would recognize us?" It had been so long.

Kenji walks slowly and stealthily with them. "If they don't, activating our Sharingans should be all the proof they need that we are who we say we are." At least, that's what he was hoping.

"It seems that we will have to see for ourselves." His sons were grown, and Fugaku knew that they'd lived very different lives to the ones they had as children. And there was every chance that a reunion might not all be hugs and kisses. And that thought weighed on him with every step. Had his sons moved on with their lives? Of course, they had, it was only to be expected. Shisui was old enough to be married, even Itachi…the two of them might be fathers, or perhaps they were still waiting for love, he didn't know. The three were something of a mystery. He known them as children, however…much could change in eleven years.

And as there were suspiciously no guards to stop them, it quickly became clear just how much had changed in those eleven years, as they rounded the final corner, coming face to face with several pairs of eyes, and three were vivid shades of red.

Eve and Ren take up defensive positions, ready to attack or defend as needed. "Who are you? And why are you in our gallery?" Even if they had the same red eyes as their guild mates, Ren's suspicions were not easily dispersed.

Crimson eyes widen in recognition. Even if it had been a decade, Itachi would know those faces anywhere. "…Mother? Father? Grandfather?"

"Itachi!" As soon as it became apparent that he recognized her, Mikoto runs straight to her eldest son and embraces him, pulling Sasuke and Shisui into the hug as well. "You're alive!" She beams at them. "And you've all grown so much!"

Kenji rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "It's a very long story." He strides over quickly well as quickly as a man his age could without it qualifying as a run or bumping into these other people who were surrounding his family! "Though you have no idea how much joy it brings our hearts to see the three of you again!"

"Yes…" Honestly, for a long time, Itachi hadn't been able to hope that this day would come. With every month that passed, the chances of seeing their family again grew smaller and smaller. Until…well, until Blue Pegasus was the only family they had. "Ren, Eve, Hibiki, it's alright." Itachi waves a hand at them. "They're not a threat."

The Trimens glance at each other, before the air and snow wizards lower their hands, backing off. Hibiki's own dark eyes flick over the three newcomers. "I guess this means that they weren't dead, after all." It hadn't been easy to see their friends giving up hope, but it seemed like the best thing to do, rather than torture themselves with what was apparently not so crazy a possibility.

Sasuke could only stare wide eyed as he was "assaulted" by his mother's and grandfather's hugs and exclamations. "I'm so glad you're alright. Now, why are you engaged in this tournament?" Mikoto looks at him in concern as Kenji was examining Sasuke's tattoo with great interest.

Carefully wiggling his way out of the bear hug, Itachi straightens himself out with dignity. "We're here, participating on behalf on our guild, Blue Pegasus. It is a competition to determine the strongest magical guild in the kingdom."

Fugaku blinks. "Magic?" And here he thought he'd seen it all. Apparently not, though, as the emblem that Sasuke sported on his shoulder was to be found on every young person present. "And your skills are appropriate to the task?" He could hardly say their shinobi abilities, Fugaku simply didn't know if it was safe to discuss such things, even among their sons' 'friends'.

Shisui beams as he embraces their relatives. "Oh yes, our skills are very appropriate." He nods at Fugaku's rather practical question. "Magic is what they call chakra here." He pauses and adds helpfully. "While magic is lighter and more easily accessed than chakra, it's a bit harder to control. Though the three of us have adapted well enough." The oldest member of Nature's Fury smiles at him.

"Things are different here." Sasuke smiles at their family. "I guess you could consider a guild to be considered similar to a clan." Some clarification was probably necessary. "Only, you aren't necessarily related to everyone in your guild."

"Not by blood, anyway." Ren crosses his arms, glaring ever so slightly at the newcomers. "But if you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us." It was something that rubbed off on them long ago from a particular group of Fairies. "And even if it's an annoying brat." He turns a smirk on Sasuke. "We protect our own."

Fugaku raises an eyebrow at the half-threat, both insulted by the insinuation that he might be a threat to either of his sons, or their cousin, and reassured by the apparent protectiveness that the boys were living with. Even now, he could still see the readiness in the lines of their bodies, the three boys and blonde girl all ready to fight, if the situation called for it.

"Ren is a bit of a Masochist." Sasuke shakes his head and sighs as if the other member of Pegasus was suffering from an illness. "He just can't seem to function without at least one daily beating, but we love him anyway." To which Kenji snickers and Mikoto looks mildly concerned.

"Oh, you want to go, kid?" Ren's fingers twitch, the air pressure already starting to change. "Cause I think those fireballs of yours were a little on the small size."

"Ren, play nicely. After all…" Hibiki approaches the embracing family, easily slipping Mikoto from the mix and taking her hand. "There's a beautiful lady present." Cougars, those were hot. "I can see where Sasuke and Itachi get their looks from, you're quite stunning."

"They were supposed to be small to serve as distractions!" Sasuke twitches at Ren's comment. "I can make larger ones. Besides, if you need large balls on the field just to show off then perhaps you're overcompensating. I do hope that Sherry is aware of this fact."

Shisui shakes his head and chuckles at Sasuke's antics. "As you can see, Blue Pegasus is a lively guild. Though Ren and Sasuke are just play fighting." Ren did so love to tease Sasuke and his cousin was more than happy to match him tit for tat.

Mikoto blinks at Hibiki and Kenji suddenly looks more than a little terrified at the knowledge this man was so suicidal. "That's very kind of you to say, but my husband also contributed." She laughs slightly nervously and hoped that Fugaku would overlook this man's flirtatious nature. Her husband **did** have a temper at times.

The moment Fugaku twitches, Itachi places a hand on Hibiki's shoulder protectively. "Father, it's fine, Hibiki is an incorrigible flirt, but he's harmless." Well, mostly, his intellect was another story. "And I would prefer not to have to protect him from you."

Now THAT little declaration has Fugaku raising an eyebrow. "I see…" Still, he had to correct this situation. And to do that, he wraps an arm around his wife's waist, pulling her back into his arms and far out of Hibiki's grasp. "Then a warning, perhaps." His Sharingan spins menacingly. "Touch my wife again, and you will find that flirting is ALL you can do!" And at that, Hibiki wisely takes a step back.

Sasuke shakes his head and sighs. "Blue Pegasus is a guild filled with people like Hibiki." The youngest Uchiha present wasn't sure how to react to the borderline homicidal glare his father was levying at his flirtatious guild mate. "Besides, Hibiki is dating Jenny. He would never actually stray." Though he might invite others to share in their 'happiness'. On one hand, it was good to see that their marriage was still strong enough that his father did get jealous. On the other, well Sasuke didn't want Hibiki to die.

Mikoto laughs softly and snuggles into Fugaku's embrace, secretly enjoying the attention. "He's just being friendly." Perhaps overly so, but she'd take her sons' word for it when they said Hibiki meant no harm.

Hibiki was lucky to be alive and that all his parts were still in one piece, Shisui muses. "Well I believe that introductions are largely out of the way, but just for formality's sake, the man who just threatened Hibiki is Fugaku Uchiha and head of our family." He nods at this. "The other man is Kenji Uchiha. He's Sasuke's and Itachi's grandfather and of course, Mikoto is Fugaku's wife and my cousins' mother."

"Well, that's good to know." Eve smiles warmly at the family. "My name is Eve. And since you probably caught part of the fight, you'll know that I'm Blue Pegasus' resident snow wizard." Still, he looks Mikoto up and down, his smile growing brighter. "I guess now we know why Sasuke was such a cute little kid. He got his bubble eyes from you!"

"I did not have bubble eyes!" Sasuke scowls at the implication.

Itachi resists the urge to roll his eyes. His mother was attractive, he wasn't an idiot, but he probably should have foreseen that his teammates would shower her with praise and compliments. It was like they couldn't resist. And that was dangerous. "…Father, I suggest that you exercise patience with the guild. Mother is likely going to get quite a number of compliments."

Yes, apparently that was the case. It seemed like every boy half Mikoto's age was going to try and charm his wife. But…it would be wrong to hurt the people who had taken in his boys. "Very well…however, they would be wise to stop at compliments." Touching was a bit no-no, and Fugaku was a decent shot with a kunai. He could nail a few fingers that wandered too close.

Mikoto smiles at Eve and nods at Sasuke. "You did have the most adorable eyes as a child, though it seems that you've left them behind." She tries to console her fuming offspring. "They look very regal now." She would have patted him, but that likely would have embarrassed the man and she wanted to ensure Fugaku didn't actually hurl any fireballs at her sons' and nephew's friends.

"Yes, patience is a virtue." Shisui nods as he rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "How did you get here? When did you get here?" So many questions were running through his mind. "Where is the rest of the Clan?"

Kenji sighs at that. "Well it's a long story. We've only recently arrived with some other members of our Clan." Far fewer than he would have liked, but he understood why so many were reluctant to take such a gamble. "My wife and Izumi are amongst them as well as several of our younger kin." He pauses an adds. "In all, if you count the present company, twelve of us made the journey."

Only twelve, but that was twelve more than they could have hoped for. Itachi wasn't naïve, he knew that it would be a hard decision for anyone to make. "I see…then for now, we'll find a place for all of you to stay, and when the games are over, we'll return home and make more…permanent arrangements, if you like." After all, he had no idea what his parents would want to do here. Their younger relatives might join guilds, but their parents and grandparents might want something steady, simple. There just weren't too many options for foreigners.

"Yeah, we'll find something for you guys in a few days." Eve grins widely as he looks down into the arena. They'd missed the match between Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel, but that wasn't too important. "The main event is about to start."

"That would be lovely." Mikoto nods her head and pauses. "Fugaku, we know the way now. Would you like to come with me to get the others?" They really shouldn't just leave them standing around for too long.

Obviously, she couldn't send Sasuke, Itachi, or Shisui to get them. They didn't know where they were and it just seemed unkind to send Kenji at his age to make him run around like that. "It shouldn't take more than a few minutes." Them going together would probably keep fights from breaking out. "Now, that we've found the three of you, well we're not going to lose you again." She didn't want the "children to panic.

"Not again." Itachi knew that they wouldn't disappear like that again, but the fact remained that their work was dangerous. Not as dangerous s ninja work, not usually, but sometimes, it was much worse. "We won't leave again." Not this place, not their home. Because that's what Earthland was now…home.

Kenji smiles at that. "Good because if you tried it, you're not too old to be bent over my knee and spanked!" Shisui chuckles at that and rolls his eyes playfully. They all knew that when it came to disciplining children, Kenji Uchiha was far more bark than bite. It was likely the only person he had ever spanked was his wife (and Shisui really didn't want to ask for confirmation on that because it brought to mind all sorts of disturbing images).

"Um right, grandfather." Sasuke shakes his head and smiles at his parents. "Don't worry. we'll still be here when you get back, if we aren't in a match. This is our spot though. So we always come back here eventually."

Mikoto nods at that, deciding that it was likely every 'guild' competing in this tournament had a spot reserved for its members to cheer their teammates on. "Alright. Come, My Love?" She places her hand on Fugaku's and gently tugs on it. "We shouldn't keep them waiting."

"Yes." Anything to get his wife away from these flirting boys half their age. Honestly, what was with the youth of today? Boys barely older than his sons were trying to pick up HIS wife! "We'll return for the boys once the final match is over." After all, they wouldn't want to overstay their welcome, and bringing the entire family into the gallery might ruffle a few feathers.

Sasuke tilts his head at that. "There's enough room." He didn't want them to slip off somewhere until the final match. What if something happened? They knew next to nothing about this world.

"We'll be back and figure something out." Mikoto smiles at Sasuke reassuringly. Giving Itachi and Sasuke a quick kiss on the cheek, before heading off with her irritated husband. "It shouldn't take long to get them and Fugaku, you don't need to sulk like a wet cat." Her smile never wavered. "You know that I have no interest in those boys." Though she'd likely have the same reaction, if a woman half Fugaku's age had acted in a manner similar to Hibiki, Fugaku didn't need to know that!

"Yes, I know." But that didn't mean that he enjoyed seeing those boys flirting with his wife. "but as promised, I have exercised restraint in dealing with them." Even if his first instinct was to teach them a lesson concerning who they were and weren't allowed to flirt with. "They're lucky that our sons are fond of them."

And fond of them, they clearly were. Sasuke had openly proclaimed their familial love, something that he'd rarely done as a child. He was very attached to his family, of course, largely his mother and brother, but it was the first time that Fugaku had seen Sasuke so openly engaging in embracing and play-fighting, and other displays of affection, especially with those outside of his birth family. "…Though, I must admit, that despite their flirtations…it pleases me to see that our sons were taken in by such kind people."

If a guild was like a clan, but without the blood ties, then perhaps that made it better than a clan. You had little choice but to love the people who were related to you by blood, but to choose to have those bonds with others outside of your family took more effort, but was worth it, in the end. At least, that is what he'd gathered from how his sons and their cousin behaved with those other boys. It was…nice.

She smiles at him and kisses his cheek as they walk towards the others. "I appreciate your restraint and they do seem a kind clan." It was fortunate the boys as she still called them in her head, had stumbled upon them. "They took in strangers and raised them as their own." Most people wouldn't have done that. "And look how they've all grown."

"Yes, they've grown quite well." It was strange, really, to see both of his sons a decade later, Itachi taller than him, and Sasuke nearly his height. He remembered a time when Sasuke barely came up to his waist. They'd lost so much time…and their friends likely knew their sons and nephew far better now than they did. "There is much time to make up for."

She sighs and nods at him. "Well at least now we have the chance to do so." The last time she had seen Shisui, he had been straddling the line between boy and man. Itachi might have already been an ANBU Captain, but he was still barely a teenager and Sasuke had been such an adorable child."The others are going to be so happy when we tell them the news." It was hard to reconcile the image of her sweet boys with the grown men who had stood before her in that gallery.

"Yes, I imagine that they'll want to see their cousins again." Fugaku could see that the reunion was likely not going to be a quiet one. "Though I think that it would be wise to meet with whomever took them in." After all, those other boys didn't look much older than Itachi and Shisui, so there must have been an adult involved somewhere. "And it would benefit us to know just how such 'guilds' work." They seemed to be an important part of this world's way of working. They also appeared to be very powerful, on top of that. There was much to learn about this world.

"That is true." Mikoto waves to their kin when she sees them and she quickly strides over to them. "We have wonderful news! We found them." This was going to take a lot of explaining though. "They're all safe and sound and waiting for us. They've made new friends." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Very…extroverted ones. So I don't not believe they will mind us visiting with them."

Aiya blinks and raises an eyebrow at that. "Extroverted, how exactly?" Mikoto was choosing her words very carefully and trying to be diplomatic, which could mean any number of things. At the very least, they were probably dealing with some eccentric people.

"Outrageous flirts. Three of them, at least." Fugaku saw no reason to mince words. "the boys are around Shisui and Itachi's age, and are very…" He glances at his wife. "Openly complimentary." That was diplomatic enough for his wife, wasn't it? "They are all part of a guild, which has apparently been taking care of the boys for some time."

One of the male members of their clan chuckles at that. "I do hope that you didn't kill our hosts Lord Fugaku." He could only imagine how well that had not gone over.

"Fugaku is more than capable of controlling his temper." Mikoto smiles at him. "Though yes, he's correct about their friendly nature. I expect they'll likely try to steal at least a few of our clanswomen's hearts, if you are not on guard." That or at least charm their metaphorical skirts off of them. (Ninjas rarely wore skirts for obvious reasons, but Mikoto digressed).

Izumi giggles at the thought. "Well, at least they landed somewhere friendly." She'd been worried when her cousins disappeared, and heartbroken when it was silently assumed that they'd died. But to hear that they were still alive, and all grown up…well, she was eager to see them again. "So that really was Sasuke that we saw fighting earlier?" The last time she'd seen him, he was barely an academy student, but the young man she'd seen on the battlefield was definitely no child.

"Yes, it was Sasuke." And Fugaku was more than a little proud at the praise that Sasuke had received from the audience for the victory that he accomplished with his teammate. "He has…certainly changed."

"He takes after Mikoto and I rather strongly." Aiya smiles at that thought, feeling rather proud of her grandson. "Well at least in looks. He's obviously very good at planning." It had seemed to her that Sasuke and the Snow Ninja could have easily handled those two opponents by themselves, but they had worked together for the sake of putting on a good show for the crowd. "Just like Fugaku and the crowd seems to like him. Much like Kenji." Her husband could be such a ham sometimes. He probably would have enjoyed participating in the competition a few decades ago.

"That's true." Mikoto gestures them to follow her. "Though Sasuke isn't the only one who has changed. Itachi and Shisui have as well." She still couldn't get over the transformation, but she knew it hadn't happened overnight. Eleven years had passed after all and yet, seeing them made her feel like it had only been a day.

"I can't wait to see them…" Izumi's eyes sparkle as she looks through the windows of the hallway to the fighting below. There were four boys on the field, all of them a few years younger than her, the youngest maybe…six years younger. And they were going at it pretty hard. "So this is a fighting competition, then?"

Fugaku nods. "Yes. It seems that here, chakra is called magic, and is much more versatile than in our world. The different teams are here representing guilds. And according to the boys, it is for the pride and prestige." And presumably some sort of prize, though it was never brought up. "Their team appears to be doing very well.

"Are we almost there?" Aiya looks around curiously, trying to memorize the layout of the place.

Mikoto nods at her mother-in-law reassuringly. "Yes, we're almost there and of course they're doing well." She smiles smugly. "I was the one who taught them how to throw kunai and shuriken." Though Fugaku had taken care of the fireball teaching.

"So we've heard." Akane walks forward, glancing around with her Sharingan active. This place was so strange, so it was best to learn the layout, and get a feel for this world. It just seemed to be messing with her eyes a little. There was just…so much chakra, and it was EVERYWHERE. But it didn't look like chakra, it was too…fluid, like it was permeating everything around them. Is this what Fugaku meant when he said magic? She thought that she was worldly, having recently turned twenty, but all of this was so new to her that she felt like an academy student again. She nudges her little brother, glancing around in wonder. "Kaito, look at it all…there's so much energy in the air."

Kaito nods at his sister in agreement. "I know. It's strange." Strange, but beautiful in its own way. "It feels like the contestants must be giving off a lot of chakra and it's just fused itself with the air in this place." It was...well something like laying on a beach and letting the waves roll over you. You could feel the chakra everywhere.

"Actually, the concentration is higher here because of all the battles, but it's like this across most of the kingdom." Across most of the world, if his calculations were correct. But a bright grin greets them just outside the door to the gallery. "You must be the rest of Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui's family." He slides himself towards Akane, taking her by the hand, and wrapping another around her waist. "I'm Hibiki, one of their teammates."

Well, Fugaku had told them that they liked to flirt, but Mikoto said that they were harmless. So Akane simply smiles. "Hello Hibiki, my name is Akane." After all, no need to offend anyone.

The playboy laughs at the introduction. "A beautiful name for a beautiful lady."

"We did try to warn you." Mikoto laughs softly, growing more used to the semi outrageous nature of this guild. "Are the others still waiting for us?" She smiles at Hibiki. "Or has someone been called to a match?"

Kaito eyes this Hibiki guy up and down closely. It was hard to tell, if he was seriously hitting on Akane or if he was just being flirtatious as Fugaku had said. "It's nice to meet you as well. I'm Kaito." He shakes his head and slowly goes down the line to introduce everyone else, including Kiyoshi.

As names are given, Hibiki is sure to memorize them all, and put them into his Archive later. "Nice to meet you all. And no, the contest portion and our tag-team battle are over. Right now the last match is-"

A deafening blast is heard from the arena floor, and light flashes from the door. The magic power in the air was incredibly intense.

Hibiki laughs nervously. "As you can see, the last match of the day is just getting heated up." He leads them all through the door and out into the team gallery so that they could watch the ensuing chaos. "I don't really think that the organisers thought this match through enough. But I'm pretty sure that most of the arena should still be standing by the end of it." He hoped.

"My grandbabies and little Shisui!" Aiya beams as she darts over and almost barrels and hugs them tightly. "Oh. I've missed you all so much. Look how you've grown? Now, about tattoos." They looked nice, but she hoped they had exercise some common sense. "It's just your arms, right?"

Sasuke blinks as he was nearly tackled by his grandmother. "It's good to see you too." He smiles at her, returning the embrace as much as he could. She really was going to turn him into a BLUE Pegasus at this rate though. "Um G-Grandmother Aiya, I c-can't really breathe properly. You're squishing me!" He was turning blue and so was Shisui.

"Oh. I'm sorry! Sorry!" She loosens her grip on Nature's Fury. None of which had escaped her love! "It's just so good to see all of you. As you didn't answer my question, I'm going to assume you chose only tasteful locations for your tattoos." She smiles.

Kenji laughs and shakes his head. "You'll have to forgive my wife." It had been so long since they last saw them. "It's been eleven years." He looks around sheepishly at the members of Pegasus. "A grandparent shouldn't be separated from their grandchildren or great nephew for so long."

Itachi takes a moment to catch his breath, smiling at his grandmother. "Don't worry, I've made it perfectly clear to my foolish little brother that he should refrain from indulging too heavily in tattoos. It's only a single arm." He glances at his cousin. "And two arms, in Shisui's case, though Shisui's wings are tasteful enough, that I have not conducted a thorough inspection as to whether he has any new acquisitions."

Shisui laughs at that. "Don't let Mira hear you talking about inspecting me for new acquisitions or your little She-Devil might get the wrong idea." It was evil and he knew it, but he couldn't resist teasing the other man about it and it worked like a charm. Aiya and Mikoto were definitely interested in figuring out who Mira was.

"I suppose." Itachi's eyes flash red. "Though I'm sure that Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker would have no problem conducting said inspection."

Sasuke tries to suppress a snicker at that as his cousin flails in response, but he wasn't entirely sure he was successful. "Don't worry about it." He smiles at his grandmother reassuringly. "Fairy Tail is an allied guild. They're our friends."

Mikoto shakes her head in amusement as she leans against Fugaku. "I really hope that she doesn't accidentally end up smothering them to death one day." Her voice was scarcely above a highly amused whisper.

Kiyoshi chuckles. He had wanted to embrace his long-lost relatives, but he knew that he wouldn't get anywhere near them until Aiya was done. "That's true. You're all looking well. Pegasus certainly does suit you." Though he had only the tiniest inkling what that meant, it was obvious this 'guild' had taken good care of his kin and for that, he would be eternally grateful. "Now, what was this about Fairy Tail?" That was certainly an intriguing thing to bring up. It sounded like fairy tales.

"Fairy Tail?" Eve grins as he hides out near the wall, watching the match progress into increasingly violent bursts of light, shadow, fire, and metal sparks. "Well, if you want to know what they're like…" He points down at the four combatants on the field. "The ones with the spiky pink hair and the long black hair are Natsu and Gajeel. They're a couple of dragon slayers from Fairy Tail."

That certainly prompts the attention of all the newly arrived Uchihas and the "originals" alike. Shisui, Itachi, and Sasuke couldn't resist watching the match anymore than their long-lost relatives could.

On the ground, it was a hand to hand battle between two pairs, magic flashing in every direction as the tables seemed to turn again, like they had about half a dozen times already. And now, there were about a dozen extra pairs of red eyes looking down at the battle below, more than a few a little wide-eyed at the sight.

Izumi, for one, was rather amazed by the sight below. She wasn't a particularly vicious fighter herself, but she could tell when people had spent their lives practicing hand to hand combat, and the four on the floor had definitely done as much. "So, we're cheering for the ones with the crazy pink and black hair right?" They were moving so fast, and the ground was so ripped up that it was hard to keep track of them, even with the Sharingan.

Sasuke nods at that. "Natsu can be annoying at time and Gareel is rough around the edges, but Sabertooth is the most sadistic guild that I've ever seen." Which was saying something because Raven Tail had tried very hard to claim that title.

Fairy Tail and Sabertooth, huh? Akane's eyes found the other one with black hair, it was sticking up all over the place, and there were black marks all over his skin. They glowed brighter than the rest of his skin, like there was extra chakra…magic running through them. "Sadistic, huh? That's not good." But were they, really?

"Yes, but I've never known Natsu to give up just because of rough opponents." Hibiki smirks at the sight of the pink-haired idiot. Who…wasn't really an idiot, judging by the way he was moving, reacting, and almost…recording the information from the battle in his own head. "Natsu's faced worse than this in real life and death battles. So he'll be fine. And Gajeel's no softie when it comes to a fight, that's for sure."

"Well in all fairness, Sting is the one who I've seen strut most between him and his partner." Shisui figures it was best to be thorough. "You can tell which guild someone is in by their emblem. We have a blue horse and you can see that Sting, the blond one, and Rogue the one with the shorter black hair, have matching emblems." This really was a mouthful, he muses. "Much like Gajeel and Natsu do because they're from the same guild."

Sasuke couldn't disagree with that. "Rogue's quieter than Sting or that could just because I've never had to deal with him in a competition. I did beat Sting at a race event though." He smirks at that thought." I had an unfair advantage, but still." The whole Dragon Slayer thing was confusing at times. He wasn't sure how to explain that to his family.

"Yes, Sasuke came in first in his event, earning our guild ten points." And Itachi was quite proud of his little brother for the feat. "I won our battle against Sabertooth only yesterday." And it had been quite satisfying to have a crack at them. "Rufus is likely still smarting from the duel."

"I see, good." Fugaku's eyes stray from the fight below as the one they called Sting started shooting himself into the sky. His eyes drift to another balcony, where three people stood, the woman with a sadistic expression of pleasure on her face. The green-haired giant seemed…not to fit the name Rufus, however… "The young man with the short blond hair?" He seemed to be trying to hide, but his focus seemed to have wandered.

Shisui decides to save Itachi the trouble of explaining. "That's Rufus. Normally, his hair is much longer." A great source of pride for the man, he assumed. "He's normally rather vain about his looks. I can only presume that as punishment for losing his match to Itachi, they cut his hair." That was probably going to take forever to grow back.

"That's cruel…" Izumi shakes her head. "They do that to their own members?"

Before her question can be answered, Hibiki throws out his hands, fingers moving as golden screens appear in the air. "Everyone, brace yourselves!" The screens fit together, sealing their gallery off from the intense magic power gathering high in the sky above them.

"They've done far worse than that." Sasuke sighs as he braces himself. Watching as his grandparents and parents embraced each other tightly and the other members of their Clan follow suit. "Rufus was lucky. He got off lightly by their standards."

The arena floor didn't get off nearly as lightly as Sting, high above his and his partner's idols, rains a roar of light down on the two, Rogue having long since taken cover in the shadows as the blast slams into the ground, right on top of Natsu and Gajeel. The power rocks Domus Flau, the power of it slamming against Hibiki's shields, and cracking them badly in the process. The force of the roar blasts a hole right down through the floor of the arena, and into the ruins of the lower levels. The hole must have been a quarter mile deep, and the three dragon slayers began to fall into the chasm, fighting the whole way down.

Itachi's eyes widen as the lacrimas struggle to reset themselves, taking a minute to settle and start showing the three dragon slayers falling through the debris, Natsu's flames still helping him to rocket around, blasting ten-ton pieces of stone into shrapnel with every kick. "…I still fail to understand just why they believed that holding this match here was a good idea. The audience could be in serious danger."

"I don't think they truly understood the power of the combatants." Shisui sighs as he watches the entire thing with wide eyes. "Though i imagine they do now."

Aiya and Mikoto both blink. Though it was Aiya that speaks. "I haven't seen power like that displayed since Madara's day." Incredible.

Kiyoshi watches the entire spectacle as well. "Now, we know why there is so much chakra in the air." Was this a normal display of power here? No. It couldn't be. Everyone seemed too shocked for that to be the case.

"I hope no one in the audience gets hurt." Kenji was trying his best not to gape. "Those boys are crazy." And Kaito nods in agreement because what more could be said on the matter?

Eve laughs sheepishly. "Well, they're all dragon slayers. That's just what happens when all of the wizards fighting use Lost Magic." There's another series of deafening blasts, including one very powerful rain of spears of light. Sting's Holy Ray. "But I guess that's because they all say that they were raised by dragons."

"Raised by dragons?" Fugaku raises an eyebrow. There were dragons in this world? "That is…deeply concerning." As concerning as the way that the two Fairy Tail boys slam to the ground, unmoving.

"I had the same reaction." Sasuke looks at his father. "Though apparently, dragons were essentially wiped out save for a handful and none of have been seen in years." Not since what had happened to Fairy Tail had frozen them.

"Strange…" Fugaku was a naturally suspicious person, and if dragons were what he thought they were, he found it hard to believe that a group of them would simply up and disappear, unable to be found. Still, those boys on the ground didn't appear to be conscious anymore. "It would seem…that the match is over."

"No, not yet." Itachi knew better than to underestimate Fairy Tail's dragon slayers. If nothing else, they were an extremely tenacious lot. "They'll be back up. They would sooner fall over and die before letting their guild down."

"These matches, they aren't to the death are they?" Mikoto looks at Itachi in concern. "Because Sasuke and Eve didn't kill their opponents." That much she knew for certain.

"No, they're not." Hibiki clenches his fists, the sounds of Fairy Tail's members calling out for their dragon slayers starting to echo across the arena. "But nothing is ever normal when it comes to dragon slayers." Forget the rules, they were the exceptions.

Finally, Ren couldn't hold it in anymore either. And he wasn't the only one, because Lamia Scale was getting uppity about it as well. "Come on you idiots! Get up!" Like hell was Fairy Tail going to lose this battle!

Kaito tilts his head in confusion. "Well it seems this Fairy Tail is one of the favorite guilds or Sabertooth is universally despised." Perhaps both?

"Not at all." Hibiki grits his teeth. "Until Fairy Tail came back and started clawing their way up the rankings, it was the other way around." Well, at least among the audience. "But we have a long history with Fairy Tail, and so does Lamia Scale. But until yesterday, Fairy Tail was still getting booed by the crowd." All of that had changed, though, and now Fairy Tail was making an epic comeback. "If we don't win this competition, it's going to be Fairy Tail. But for that, Natsu and Gajeel need to GET UP!" His last words ring through the air, along with the rest of the cacophony of support from wizards across the arena.

"I see. Well I suppose we should cheer as well." He and the other Uchiha soon join in. "GET UP!" After all, it couldn't hurt and if his kin's allies though that much of Fairy Tail, it was likely for good reason.

As the referee was considering calling it, rogue joining his partner down in the pit, the two dragon slayers twitch on the ground, slowly pushing themselves to their feet. Completely unfazed by all of the pummeling they'd taken. In fact, the complete and utter nonchalance with which they confront their opponents leaves the Tigers dumbfounded as the two began to argue over which direction Sting's foot pointed when he was about to attack.

Hibiki slams his palm to his face. "You…have got to be kidding me…" they were arguing over THAT in front of the whole kingdom!?

What left everyone even more dumbfounded was when Natsu shoved Gajeel into a mining cart, taking advantage of his partner's motion sickness to send the Iron Dragon Slayer away, before challenging the Twin Dragons to a two on one smack-down.

And Itachi was barely resisting the urge to facepalm, himself. "I will never understand the mystery that is Natsu Dragneel." Whether it was sheer audacity or blind courage, he had to admire the nearly suicidal dragon slayer.

"What's to understand?" Sasuke shakes his head at his brother's question. "He's fucking nuts."

"Yes, I gather that." Fugaku wasn't sure whether to admire the boy, or smack him upside the head. He wanted to fight two destructive opponents two on one? And while they were like…well, they were using some kind of ability to augment their own power. That would put the younger dragon slayer at a disadvantage.

Not that Natsu saw it as a disadvantage. He took both of them on at one, fending them both off while the Twin Dragons remained in their Dragon Force forms, raining both magic and martial arts down on Natsu's spiky pink head.

It failed. Every single attack failed. Natsu threw them off time and time again, smashing blazing fists into the two of them, and unleashing streams of fire from his mouth than blanketed half the underground battlefield.

The Unison Raid was the final straw, the fusing of magic between light and darkness, Sting and Rogue's most powerful combination attack. And it was dispersed by a single strike from Natsu, before the lacrimas were blown out of the hole by a huge eruption of fire that blasts right out of the hole and a hundred feet into the sky.

It was glorious.

Kenji shakes his head at the entire thing. "Well I suppose a man with pink hair has no choice, but to be vicious." He didn't envy the boy. "That was quite the spectacle. I'm glad that your guild is allied with them." He smiles cheerfully.

Hibiki sweatdrops. "You have no idea how many times I've thought the same thing." He would never want to be Fairy Tail's enemy. "And it looks like Sabertooth has just learned why declaring war against Fairy Tail is borderline suicidal."

The lacrima screens flicker back to life, slowly focusing in on the images of three people through the smoke. All three of them are still standing. Well, for about five seconds, before Sting and Rogue collapse.

There was silence for a few long moments, before cheers rang out all across Domus Flau. Chapati's voice rises above the crowd thanks to the speakers. "What an upset! Sabertooth's Twin Dragons, defeated by Fairy Tail's Natsu Dragneel! You saw it here, folks! The strongest guild in Fiore has been utterly and thoroughly beaten! Is this the end of an era!? Or the return of the old!? We'll find out exactly that in two days!"

Sasuke had to admit that as crazy as Natsu was that was an impressive match. Though he still thought the announces must have taken an IV of pure sugar that morning. Gods and Goddesses, he was hyper.

Itachi breathes a sigh of relief, shaking his head at the sight of the celebrating Fairy, who somehow still has enough energy to run around, breathing fire for the audience. "Well, now that today's events are over, I suggest that we return to the inn and inform Master Bob of the situation." That a dozen members of their clan had, over a decade later, joined them in Earthland.

"Master Bob?" Kiyoshi raises an eyebrow at the name. "Is he your Kage or new Sensei?" Eve, Bob, Hibiki, Natsu, Gajeel, the names of these people couldn't be more different. Perhaps this city was really some sort of port or trading center. Its people were so diverse.

"No, not exactly." How could Itachi quite explain this? "He is the founder of the guild, the one who oversees day to day operations, approves wizards going out on missions, but does not assign them, and acts as something of a parent or guardian to the younger members of the guild." He was in charge, like a Kage, but didn't hold nearly so much power or clout. "There are a few dozen, to maybe over a hundred wizards in a guild, but Master Bob doesn't exercise nearly as much power as a Kage does. A guild is not typically a military power. But they are all subject to the laws set down by the Magic Council." Even though many of the guilds bent those rules quite frequently.

It seemed a rather hands-off approach to Kaito, but he wouldn't argue. "Well it seems to work for them." Clearly, this was a highly advanced society. He'd never seen a village that was this large before. "I think that you're right. It would be a good idea for us to meet Master Bob."

"Then let's go." Hibiki heads for the door, pulling a grinning Jenny with him. "We all have a day off tomorrow, before the huge battle royale. So we've got a day of relaxing to get to know each other."

"Right!" Eve sidles up to Izumi and Akane. "Would you like me to escort you, ladies?"

"I'd love that." Izumi smiles at the cute blonde. "We're going to see your Master, right?" She still wasn't really sure where Bob was, but it looked like the Uchihas were just going to stay with this guild at least for the time being and she was fine with that.


	17. Chapter 17

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope you enjoy another Reunion Chapter and a healthy dose of Exceed Fluff ;)

Chapter 17

"Oh, they're such little darlings!" It was exactly one point three-eight seconds after they walked in, according to Hibiki's calculations, that Master Bob has spotted the younger Uchihas, and commenced his customary fawning over beautiful little 'wizards'.

Hibiki had, of course, long since wrapped his head around the differences between wizards and ninja, thanks to Itachi and Shisui, and frankly, it sounded like wizards just had a lot of extra benefits regarding versatility, and how they touched energy. But it also seemed like ninjas could pick up the abilities of a wizard, if they trained hard enough. So, in reality, their systems weren't all that different.

But it was still interesting to see so many ninjas standing around in their inn, looking more than a little bewildered by the ancient, bald, chubby, crossdressing man who was cooing at them like they were the most adorable thing he'd seen since Sasuke was a child. Which, they probably were, because that was quite an attractive family, he had to admit. No wonder the three boys had fit in so well at Blue Pegasus.

Currently, Bob was smiling brightly at Kaito, since the teenager was an absolutely adorable little thing, just like his cousin, Sasuke. "Such a handsome young man, I bet the girls just ADORE you."

Kaito blinks as the strange looking man coos at him as if he was a baby. "Um yes, I guess so?" Back in the Leaf, a Civil War had been going on. So if anyone had adored him,he hadn't noticed. "I'm Kaito Uchiha. Pleased to meet you Master Bob." He might be strange, but he had also taken his cousins in when they had nowhere else to go and for that he was deserving of respect.

"Oh, aren't you jut a little sweetie." Bob's smile only grows wider. "I'm very pleased to meet you too." He turns to his own little Uchiha boys and flutters up to give Sasuke a hug. "And you did wonderfully in your match today with Eve, I'm so proud of you two."

"Thanks." Sasuke smiles at Bob and Mikoto wonders if the perky little fellow was going to get his makeup on her son. That would look rather odd to say the least. "I"m not really sure exactly how they got here, but this is at least some of our family and we were wondering, if they could stay with us."

Shisui nods at that. Deciding to vouch for the rest of their family. "We would cover whatever expenses such an arrangement would entail. Though I"m sure most of them would be interested in becoming wizards or obtaining employment." He knew that it wouldn't be cheap to house and feed this many people.

Kiyoshi wasn't really sure exactly what being a wizard meant, but he'd definitely find some form of employment. "I'm more than willing to do my fair share." After all, he had been a Jonin back in the Leaf. Surely, at least some of his skills would be useful in this new world.

"My wife and I may be elderly, but don't let our age fool you." Kenji smiles as he happily waves his cane. "I could probably knock out all of Sabertooth with this thing." To which, Aiya laughs and kisses her husband's cheek, muttering something about him being adorably ridiculous.

"Oh, what a rambunctious family!" It reminded Bob of his days back at Fairy Tail. "We can find more than enough work for your family once we go home. If they're anything like you boys, I'm sure they'll be marvelous."

"Thank you, Master Bob." Itachi sighs with relief. He'd been worried, since the addition of so many new members might be a bit daunting for the elderly guild master. But he supposed that once a Fairy, always a Fairy. Bob had never lost the spark he had from his youth in Fairy Tail. He turns to his father, the de-facto leader of the group. "We'll be returning home in a few days, just after the competition ends. The three of us have a small house near the guild hall that could fit a few more people, if we squeezed enough, but the guild also has rooms upstairs." He smiles wryly. "And a private lounge with couches more comfortable than beds."

"I see." Those arrangements sounded like they would suffice, until their family could find its feet. And though it stung his pride a little, Fugaku would accept Bob's help in finding employment, since that appeared to be the best course of action. "You are very generous."

"Oh, it's no trouble for such polite youngsters." Bob waves it off with his customary smile. "for now, relax and enjoy yourselves. You must have had a difficult trip."

That was putting it mildly, Mikoto thinks to herself. "We're very grateful to you for your help and for caring for our boys when we could not." There was so much that they had missed. So many years lost, but now they could work on correcting that. "My husband is right. You are very generous."

Izumi nods in agreement as she looks around curiously. "Do you really have room here for us though?" They had money, but she wasn't entirely sure their currency would be accepted here.

Sasuke nods at her reassuringly. "We have the room and if we don't, we'll make due somehow." Once a ninja, always a ninja. His family was hardly any stranger to roughing it.

"That's true." Shisui smiles at them."You must all be starving. Lets get you some food and we can begin catching up." There was still so much to tell them!

The eldest Uchiha nods her head at that. "Yes, it seems that we have much to discuss." They were now in a whole new world and cane or not, she and Kenji would likely have the most difficult time adjusting.

"Great!" Hibiki grins widely. "Well, I'm sure that we can double up to make some room. Jenny can room with me." He pecks his girlfriend on the cheek, then glances slyly at Ren. "And I'm sure that Lamia Scale would be happy to host a little sleepover, if you asked. Your fiancee's probably getting pretty lonely."

"Tch, as if." Ren's cheeks go a little red. "But I guess…I better look after her. She's pretty high maintenance, and terrorizing her whole guild with her love crap." He loved that love crap…

Fugaku raises an eyebrow at the display. If he wasn't mistaken…they were actively finding a way to make room, even at their own inconvenience. Well, perhaps not much inconvenience, since it seemed to be couples pairing off.

Itachi smirks. "Well, I'm sure that if Sasuke asked, he could easily find a bed with Fairy Tail. Their Queen is rather fond of him, after all."

Sasuke glares daggers at his brother for that. "ITACHI!" He couldn't believe that Itachi had said that in front of their parents. Hell, in front of their grandparents! "That is NOT true." Damn it. His cheeks burn red at his ultimate humiliation.

"A Queen?" Mikoto blinks. "You have royalty here?" They had Daimyos and nobles of course, but no Queens, especially not ones that were close to her son!

Aiya blinks just as confused as the other Uchiha woman. "I presume it's a nickname." Maybe. Actually, she wasn't really sure. "Though you certainly do take after your grandfather if you have already managed to charm a woman this early on."

Wait. Actually, she should probably ask. "Am I already a great grandmother?" She looks at Itachi and Sasuke rather suspiciously. Sasuke was too young for such responsibility in her mind, but he was old enough to have a baby of his own. Itachi was another matter though. He could easily have a small child by now. Maybe, even more than one.

Itachi chuckles loudly, louder than he had in years, really. "I'm sorry to disappoint you Grandmother, but no, you are not a great-grandmother yet." Though that could change, maybe…if Fairies didn't prove too difficult to catch. "Fairy Tail is another of the guilds in this kingdom. Yes, there is a royal family, but the Queen I refer to is a member of Fairy Tail's S-Class, one of their most powerful wizards."

Hibiki grins from his seat on a nearby couch, with Jenny nearly in his lap. "Erza 'Titania' Scarlet, Queen of the Fairies." He waves his hand, magic pulsing in the air as screens appear, showing pictures of the Fairy Queen. "She's the one who single-handedly defeated a hundred powerful monsters in the competition yesterday."

Honestly, there were only two people that Sasuke really wanted to kill. Those people were Minerva and Flare. "Itachi, Hibiki, shut up." Though there was a second category of people who could benefit from a Chidori to their hindquarters. Which now included, amongst others, Itachi and Hibiki!

The others in the second category were Bacchus and Sting. Gray and Ren sometimes made it into that category, though mostly he just wanted to slap them around a bit for calling him a brat. At the moment though, Itachi and Hibiki seemed bound and determined to make their way further up the list!

Fugaku's eyebrow rises higher as a few of the younger family members began to edge away and disperse through the inn, likely to avoid Sasuke's wrath. "Well, it seems that you certainly aim high." Though whether Itachi meant that the woman returned Sasuke's affections, or was simply fond of him was…ambiguous. Clearly, though, his son was smitten with a very powerful woman. That could end very well, or very badly. He hoped it would be the former, as he did want his son to be happy. "Does Itachi aim similarly high?"

Well Sasuke wasn't going to miss a chance to fight fire with fire! "Itachi was admiring the She-Devil's Curves quite a bit during the Beauty Contest." Serves the bastard right. "That's just a name. Mira isn't actually a Devil. She's a wizard from Fairy Tail and a model." Former model? Should he say former? Well it wasn't like she had formally quit. Nevermind. He'd just say model.

"I…see…" Fugaku glances at his wife, not entirely sure how to take such a…proclamation. It seemed that his sons were rather fond of the female wizards of this Fairy Tail guild. They must be quite something to have attracted such attention. And such nicknames.

Itachi twitches, directing a glare at his younger brother. "At least I have not been pining after her since I was a child. I do seem to recall you being rather enraptured by how much her armors revealed."

"Boys! Boys!" Oh boy. Mikoto had never suspected that she would have to break up a catfight between her two SONS, but that was exactly what she was doing. "There is no need to fight."

Fugaku shakes his head at his family's antics. It seemed that he might very well be a grandfather sooner than he expected. "I'm sure that both of these ladies are perfectly worthy of your attention. But you should behave as though you are worthy of theirs."

Hibiki's magic flashes again as he grins widely. "I have more pictures!" And this time, it is pictures of Fairy Tail's poster girl, S-Class wizard, and She-Devil. Most of the pictures were sweet and innocent, a couple of them of her in bikinis, and one of them…from her match against Jenny, when she used her most powerful Satan Soul.

The patriarch blinks at the images, a funny feeling blooming in his stomach. "Itachi…certainly has interesting taste." The elder brother flushes a light pink at the insinuation.

Shisui shakes his head at Hibiki. He was a dead man. Either Sasuke or Itachi were going to kill him. Maybe, they'd put aside their sibling rivalry long enough to team up to do it, but he knew one thing. He did not envy that man right now!

"That's one way to put it." Sasuke shakes his head. "Anyway, don't take anything Itachi or Hibiki say seriously. Ever." The last thing he needed was for them to get the rest of thier family involved in his currently nonexistent love life.

"So, then we're not talking about how Shisui wants to hook up with Fairy Tail's guild drunk, whose father is the strongest wizard Fairy Tail's got and can break buildings just by touching them?" If that wasn't a recipe for the most dangerous meet the parents situation ever, Hibiki didn't know what was.

Shisui twitches. On second thought, he would be the one to kill Hibiki. "Do you want to be ripped apart by a hurricane? Because it sounds like you do." The man had a death wish. That was the only logical explanation.

Hibiki rolls his eyes. "No, I want you all to go chase Fairies. We have a day off tomorrow, so make the most of it." He shoots them a slightly more serious look. "Members of Blue Pegasus do NOT fail to charm the object of their affections. So stop sitting around and DO something." Sheesh, was it really that complicated? Kissing Jenny was much easier. Oh…speaking of… He pulls her back into his lap, grinning away.

Honestly, what was in the water here? Fugaku could hardly believe this. His sons and Shisui were being teased about girls, all of whom seemed to belong to Fairy Tail. …Wait a minute. "First, I am forbidding the three of you from committing murder against one of your guild mates." That's what they'd called each other on the way here, right? "And second, if the three of you are too hesitant to act on your desires, then you have no one to blame for that frustration than yourselves."

"Mmm that is a bit hypocritical. You were rather shy when you were their age yourself." It was why Fugaku hadn't fathered Itachi until he was twenty-seven. "If I recall, I was the aggressor in our relationship." And some chakra cuffs had been involved, but Mikoto didn't feel like traumatizing her children too much.

Fugaku grits his teeth. "Mikoto, you are NOT helping." He was trying to prevent a murder here!

She shakes her head in amusement. "I'm calming them down by giving them something else to focus on." She was so helping!

Sasuke and Shisui both twitch at Hibiki. "You're lucky that father said not to kill you." Sasuke twitches again. Though he knew that Shisui was struggling not to do the same.

"Well this is certainly quite the lively reunion." Kenji smiles merrily as he sits down next to his wife. "Though at this rate, Fairy Tail might as well be renamed to the Love Guild." Those pictures were rather nice, though of course Aiya was still the most beautiful woman in all the world (well both worlds) to him. Though he wondered about these inventions known as bikinis.

Bob chuckles as he toddles back over with a tray full of cocktails. "Oh, you wouldn't say that if you met them. While it's true that they value love and family more than any other guild, they're a little…on the destructive side." He remembered the mayhem that he used to help cause in his younger days. "Fairy Tail never changes. Now…" He holds up the tray to the Uchiha family, the four men looking rather miffed, and Mikoto a little too pleased with herself. "I think it's about time we started celebrating."

Izumi takes a cocktail and makes a toasting motion. "Yes, we have lots to celebrate! To family, new friends, and well magic, I guess!" Especially, if it involved the cute snow ninja. Err wizard. (Though she wasn't really sure what the difference was).

"Yes…to family." Itachi picks up one of the glasses, noting the ice lacrimas floating in it. They were going for the fun stuff tonight, then. "Even if sometimes, they make you want to strangle them." He glares slightly over at Hibiki, who takes a couple of cocktails from another tray, this one floating through the air.

Shisui nods in agreement at that as Sasuke gives Hibiki another glare for good measure. Hopefully, they'd forget about what he said. They'd just focus on Itachi and his She-Devil or Shisui's Bikini Loving Drunk. Yes, that would be better!

* * *

Fro never liked scary noises. He didn't like the dark either. But Sting was sad, and didn't want to leave his room, so Fro wanted to help. Ice cream always made him feel better when he was sad. Rogue would get it for him. But Ro was busy watching Sting. Lector was gone, Master tried to kill him, Minerva saved him, but kitty-napped him. So Fro had to help. Fro could help!

So, the little green Exceed toddles through the city, looking for a candy shop open this late. There was always one open. Who else would take care of late night candy cravings? And Sting needed something sweet. Oh! And he could get some candy for Lector when that nasty lady brought him back.

Wait a minute… Frosch blinks, looking around at the street, not recognizing anything. "Uh oh…" Was he lost again? This place didn't look familiar. Did Rogue ever bring him here? Did he go here with Lector? "Fro…is lost…?"

Akane had been exploring the city. She had a map in her hand and had always been good at reading such things. So she wasn't too worried about being in this unfamiliar place. After all, she was a ninja and even at this hour, there were a few people milling about. Someone would have to be extremely foolish indeed to pick a fight.

"What is that?" Her voice was so low that she barely heard her own words when she notices something tiny and well adorable walking around. Adorable and very, very pink with a green face? Was that a cat dressed as a frog?

This world was bizarre in some ways, but well curiosity apparently did more than just kill cats. It made Uchihas do potentially foolish things as well. "Are you alright, kitty?" She didn't know why she was talking to a cat. Well unless it was a ninja cat. Though she didn't think a ninja cat would be dressed up as a pink frog. Clearly, it had to be someone's pet though she thinks to herself as she walks over and kneels beside the adorable creature.

Trembling, the tiny, furry creature looks up at the stranger, tears filling its eyes. "Fro got lost…" Again. And now Rogue would be worried about him. Rogue always came whenever Frosch got lost.

The cat talked! "Oh. Well where are you trying to get to?" In third person! "I do have a map." She smiles at the frightened feline. Maybe, it was a Ninja Kitten. It looked so scared. It was hard to imagine this cat in battle. "Are you looking for your mother?" Where there were Ninja Kittens, there were Ninja Cat Mothers and well those were some of the scariest animals in all of existence! She did not want to earn the fury of a Ninja Cat Mom!

"Candy store..." Frosch gulps. "Ro's friend is sad, so Fro was getting ice cream and candy…" He just didn't think that it was going to be so hard to do it all on his own. "He's sad cause Lector's gone…"

"Well I don't know who Lector is, but the candy store is just down the street." She smiles at the cat. "I'll walk you there, if you like." She also didn't know who Ro was, but she figures that might be short for something. This creature's manner of speech was adorable and resembled a small child to her.

Frosch's eyes brighten a little as he blinks the tears away, some of them soaking into his fur. "You'll help Fro?" His tail swishes back and forth happily. Maybe he could get sweets for Sting after all!

Well it was just down the street and she couldn't in good conscience let a kitten wander around alone. "Of course. Do you want me to carry you?" It might be easier. She wasn't really sure how fast those little legs could walk.

Free cuddles? "Okay!" Frosch holds up his little arms to her, bouncing happily. He likes riding around in Rogue's arms, or on his shoulder, or on his head, though that didn't happen very much anymore. Hm…maybe he should ask Rogue to carry him around on his head more.

"You're so cute." She smiles and picks him up, carrying the little ball of fluff to the candy shop.

"Fro thinks so too!" She was really warm, she smelled good. Frosch burrows his little face against her shoulder, humming happily. "You're a nice lady. What's your name?"

Well maybe this world wasn't so bad. It seemed they had rather cute pets. "Akane." Though she could live without dragons. They were magnificent in theory, but even she didn't fancy her odds of defeating one.

"That's a pretty name!" Frosch wiggles around in her arms as they walk into the candy store. There was just so much candy here, it was amazing! He saw ice cream, that would be good for Sting, and sour candy, Rogue liked sour candy, oh and those sugar balls on sticks! Lector liked those…

Curling his little fists in determination, he wiggles himself out of Akane's arms, before bounding off between the shelves and racks. Little white wings sprout from his back as he reaches for the sugar sticks, and he floats straight up, hanging four feet in the air.

"It talks and it flies." Akane shakes her head. "Now, I've seen everything." Not to mention, the feline also apparently had one Hell of a sugar tooth. Well if nothing else, this world was an amusing one.

"For Ro…" Frosch picks up a bag of sour red candy, before swooping down to push open the door of a freezer and pull out a small container of vanilla ice cream. Sting liked vanilla, it was white. "For Sting…" Then, he whizzes over to the counter, putting down the money that he'd brought with him, some pocket money that Rogue had given him at the start of the week. He was careful about saving it, and people always gave him discounts for being cute.

Then, he flutters back over to his new friend, with his shopping in a bag. "All done."

"Wait. Sting?" She had heard that name before. "Is Sting blond by any chance?" She had watched the match between the Dragon Slayers. If she remembered correctly Sting was the blond one and he had fought for Sabertooth alongside another Dragon Slayer named Rogue. "Ro...is short for Rogue, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh…" Frosch's face falls as his wings disappear and he falls back into Akane's arms. "Master hurt them bad and tried to kill Lector, so Sting killed him. Then the lady took Lector away… So Fro is getting sweet things to make them feel better."

Oh dear Gods and Goddesses, this adorable ball of fluff was surrounded by murderers and pet snatchers! "Who is Lector and who took her?" Was Lector another Ninja Kitten? What was wrong with these people?!

"Lector is Sting's friend. Sting is Ro's friend, Ro is Fro's friend. So, Sting and Lector are Fro's friends." The little green cat sniffles softly. "Fro misses him…" And he was scared that they wouldn't see Lector again at all. "Minerva says she'll only bring Lector back if Sting wins."

"Well I"m sure that you'll get Lector back." And that she was going to report this Minerva for stealing someone's pet. Surely, there were laws in place!

"Fro thinks so too…" He snuggles into her chest as the cool night air hits them. But he was all nice and warm, cuddled up in his pink onesie. Then, his ears twitch. "Rogue?"

Damn it! She looks around anxiously upon hearing that. Rogue was a member of Sabertooth. The most sadistic guild according to Sasuke and well, she trusted her cousin's judgment in such matters. At least, she didn't have a guild mark. He might just think she was a civilian. Which in this world, that was mostly accurate.

"Frosch!" A male voice is jut audible, calling down the street. Slightly panicked, slightly frantic, and very much worried.

"Rogue!" Frosch waves a little paw in the air. "Fro made a friend!" He shakes the bag of sweets. "And Fro has food!"

"He's alright." Akane obviously had to say something. Considering another cat had been literally catnapped, she didn't wnat the Dragon Slayer thinking she was pulling a Minerva. "He just wandered off and got a little lost."

Not quite barreling, but definitely hurrying down the street, a taller form comes into sight, black hair draped over his right eye, bandages wrapped around his head, and a cotton patch on his left cheek. More bandages peek out from inside the short, loose blue robe he wore. And he looked more than a little worried as he caught sight of the woman holding onto his precious friend. She smelled…not hostile, and Frosch didn't seem at all upset by her presence, so he slows to a walk as he approaches her, eyeing her suspiciously. "Frosch, are you alright?" He trusted him to answer the question more than her.

"Fro is okay!" His little wings pop out, and he wiggles his way out of Akane's arms again, almost hopping through the air to fall into Rogue's protective embrace. "Fro has ice cream for Sting. She helped Fro find the candy store!"

"She did?" Rogue's ruby gaze falls on her, eyeing her with just a smidge less suspicion, his whole posture relaxing a little with his little buddy back in his arms. "Why?"

This could escalate quickly. "He was lost and it was just down the block." Akane tries to smile at the very suspicious dragon slayer. "Besides, he was too cute not to help." He had good reason to be suspicious what with someone kidnapping his friend's cat and well, Rogue had obviously suffered from a beating. Fro as he called himself, had apparently been truthful in what he said. "So I'm just going to go now." This was awkward, but awkward was better than risking a fight outside a candy store.

The ruby eye narrows slightly, before falling on his little buddy, cuddling into his arms, and making a soft purring sound. "Damn it, Frosch…" It was hard to stay angry when the little guy did that. He was just so…sweet. Rogue strokes the top of Frosch's head as the pink-clad tail flicks back and forth.

That same eye travels back up to his pet's rescuer, greatly softened by his pet's presence. "What's your name?"

"Akane." There was no reason to lie. He had no idea who she was.

He nods, his sleeves concealing most of Frosch's little body. "…Thank you, Miss Akane." He turns back towards Crocus Gardens, walking slowly away from the woman. Rogue looks back over his shoulder once. "I won't forget this."

Frosch pops his head up as well, waving over Rogue's shoulder. "Bye, Pretty Lady!"

She nods at him. "Stay safe." Whether she was saying that to Fro, Rogue, or both, she didn't know. Once they were out of sight though, she decides it was in her best interest to head back to where Blue Pegasus was staying.

* * *

Itachi is the one to notice Akane returning to the inn's bar after a prolonged absence. He hadn't been worried, for he had faith in his cousin's skills, but still, if she hadn't returned before he turned in for the night, he would have gone out to look for her. Thankfully, it appeared that such an action wouldn't be necessary. "Did you enjoy your walk in the city?"

"Well mostly." Should she confess? Wait. She didn't have anything to confess too. "Though I made a rather unusual friend." She hadn't done anything wrong!

"An unusual friend?" That could mean any number of things. And considering the number of wizards in the city, more than a few being rather eccentric, Itachi wasn't sure whether or not to be worried. Maybe it was a regular citizen? "Unusual as in unlikely, eccentric, or Fairy Tail level of insane?"

"Well...it's complicated." How did she explain this? "You see I ran into a ninja cat with wings and his owner." That was the easiest way she knew how to explain everything. It was probably best to breka the news gently.

"You met an Exceed?" Itachi had met Fairy Tail's Exceeds a few times before they disappeared all those years ago. "Was it Happy or Pantherlily?" She had said 'he', so it couldn't be Carla.

"Well it was rather sad at being lost, but quite cuddly." She shakes her head. "An Exceed?" Was that what they called ninja cats here? "He said his name was Fro though." An odd name for a cat or whatever an Exceed was, but it suited him.

"Fro?" Itachi's brow furrows. That wasn't the name of any of the Exceeds belonging to Fairy Tail, he knew that for certain. And Happy and Pantherlily didn't have a habit of getting lost. Ever. "…The flying, talking cats of this world are called Exceeds, yes. And the only ones I have met personally are the three who accompany the dragon slayers of Fairy Tail." His eyes narrow in worry. "and none of them are called Fro."

She gulps nervously. Hopefully, Itachi wouldn't be too angry. "That's because Fro's owner isn't from Fairy Tail." It was ridiculous. She had returned a lost talking cat. Not betrayed her family. "He's from another guild."

"Sabertooth." Itachi sighs, checking his cousin over once more, making sure that there were no injuries. "Are you alright?" She may be his cousin, and therefore talented in her own right, but that did not mean that he wanted her to get into a skirmish with a territorial dragon slayer.

"Yes, I'm fine." She smiles at him, relieved that he was angry. "Mostly Rogue was just grateful that his Exceed was alright."

"I see." In that case, there likely wasn't anything for Itachi to worry about. Except, maybe… "Did it appear as though Rogue had been punished at all for his loss earlier today?" He wouldn't put it past Sabertooth to punish even their dragon slayers for losing.

At this, Akane sighs once again. "He had obviously been injured and fairly severely, but he was well enough to look for his pet." So the injuries weren't life-threatening at least.

Which meant that the dragon slayer SHOULD have been in bed. Itachi had once seen Natsu and Gajeel bandaged head to toe, various limbs in casts, and still walking around despite that. "Just because a dragon slayer is walking, does not mean that they're well enough to be out of bed." But still, Itachi could sympathize. After all, he would have hauled himself out of bed, injured, if it meant looking for Sasuke. And he'd done it too, just once.

"You seem to feel sympathy towards him." Akane had been under the impression that Sabertooth was a rival guild. So why did Itachi feel badly for the one called Rogue? "Well in any case, I imagine he went straight back to his team afterward."

"One can feel sympathy for their competitors. It's simply better to leave that sympathy off the battlefield." Besides, Rogue had, as of yet, done them no wrong. Itachi was not cruel enough to wish pain upon him when he'd done nothing except go along with his partner's antics.

"I suppose that was true. I was just under the impression that Sabertooth was a completely sadistic lot." That appeared not to be the chase. "Well that's good. He does look nice in his ascot!" She smiles.

Itachi resists the urge to smack his forehead. Well, he should have seen that coming. His family was stuck here now, so of course they would be looking for options here, if even just subconsciously. He just wished that she'd expressed interest in someone less…complicated. "Be careful, Akane. Dragon slayers are…unpredictable and powerful." And he really would prefer that she not risk getting too close to them at the moment.

Rogue was one thing, but Sting…he could still be a threat. Then again, until the final day was over, they both were. "Sasuke feels more strongly about Sabertooth than I do, however, they are still the competition for the next two days. Until then…I would advise that you tread cautiously. Pride can make wizards…go to the extreme."

She shakes her head. "Oh I wasn't actually going to pursue him." They were a rival guild, even if it appeared some members of the guild were viewed less negatively than others. "I was just…making an observation."

Itachi hoped so, he really did, otherwise this could get rather…messy.


	18. Chapter 18

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. We hope you enjoy the waterpark chapter!

Chapter 18

"Hey Sasuke, catch!" Jenny hurls Sasuke's navy blue swim trunks across the room, which she'd convinced Shisui to sneak out of Sasuke's room before they came to Crocus. "We're going to Ryuuzetsu Land today!"

Jenny's efforts were much to Itachi's amusement, as he sat down, eating breakfast, with his own bag at his side, filled with swim trunks, a change of clothes, and a few other little odds and ends. He had seen this coming a mile away, since Jenny had been talking about it the whole week before they arrived for the games. She wanted to go to the water-park, and that meant that she would drag the rest of them with her, kicking and screaming if she had to.

"Has anyone told you that you've become incredibly bossy lately?" Sasuke shakes his head as he examines the trunks. "Well at least they're the right size."

"Of course they're the right size. I got Shisui to steal them from your dresser!" Jenny was totally unashamed of her tactics. "I knew that you wouldn't bring any otherwise."

Sasuke watches the antics of his family with amusement. "Whatever. I'll wear the trunks." He was just happy they were back and so far, the only ones who had tried to embarrass him were Hibiki and Itachi for the most part, but he had already gotten his revenge on Itachi for being a bastard. So he was content.

"I even went shopping to get some for the rest of your family too!" She always got discounts at clothing stores, since they all hoped that she would get them more business by wearing the clothes that they carried. And she was holding out a bikini in just Mikoto's size. "Here, one for you too!"

Mikoto blinks, not at all sure this was a good idea. "Perhaps, we should stay behind." If all the women looked like Jenny in this strange land, she was suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious about her age. She was forty-six. She usually didn't wear anything as skimpy as a bikini unless it was lingerie and she was apparently expected to prance about in public in one now?

"Oh don't be silly!" Kenji smiles cheerfully as he tosses one of them to Aiya. "This is going to be great fun! Lots of wonderful sights to see!" Aiya twitches and the elderly Uchiha decides to amend his statement in the interest of survival. "Though none so lovely as my wife, of course!"

Shisui chuckles at that. Some things never changed. "Nice save." Good old Kenji was still, well Kenji.

Fugaku shakes his head, kissing his wife's cheek. "While I would prefer that you not prance around where you can be publicly ogled, you should not feel as though you cannot do so. I, for one, would have no complaints for you wearing such an…exotic piece to this 'swimming pool'." At least, that's where he gathered that Jenny was insisting that they go, based on her earlier squealing.

She smiles, feeling a bit reassured by that comment. "Alright." Besides, she'd just stay with their family and with such extroverted personalities like Jenny around, she could easily fade into the background. "I suppose there is no reason why we can't go then."

"Hmm. Jenny, which do you think?" Izumi smiles at the blond. "Should I go with the pink or red one?" She holds up two suits.

Before Jenny has the chance to respond, Eve pokes his head into the room, before heading for the large breakfast buffet table. "I think that the pink suits you best." He grins brightly, serving himself pancakes with berries and whipped cream. "It's sweet, just like you!"

Izumi blushes, but smiles at that. "Alright. Pink it is then." She darts towards the nearest bathroom. "Just gonna put my suit on under my clothes and then we'll be all set."

Akane had sneakily found a red swimsuit and a one piece. There was no way she was wearing something as skimpy as a bikini in public.

Jenny grins as her plan starts coming together, and Hibiki chuckles, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend's waist. "And, of course, once we're there, we'll meet up with Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, and Quatro Cerberus. Since we've all got the day off, Master Bob thought it would be a good idea for all of our guilds to get together."

Sasuke blinks. He needed to practice his genjutsu or get contacts. Probably contacts though. If Fairy Tail was going to be there, that meant Erza would be. Which meant his Sharingan would activate and his parents would see that and damn it! He couldn't let that happen!

"That sounds wonderful." Shisui smiles at her. "It's always good to see our friends, especially outside the Arena."

"Exactly!" Jenny was so ready for this. "And who knows what might happen? It's an adventure!" And maybe, one that would end the dancing that a few boys were insisting on doing. Nothing screamed romance like bikinis!

* * *

Ah, a day to relax and rejuvenate themselves before the last day of the games. Erza could think of no finer way to spend the fifth of July. And neither could her team, judging by the excitement dripping off of Natsu and Lucy. Those two always were two of the more rambunctious members of the team, even if Lucy was generally far less destructive.

And as she walked in with her extremely revealing yellow and black bikini, she could see that the rest of the guild, along with Quatro Cerberus and Lamia Scale, were already here. "Ah, excellent. It seems as though everyone is present." Oh, wait, not quite. "I wonder where Blue Pegasus is."

"Erza, My Darling!" Ichiya comes running at her. "Oh it's been far too long since I last smelled the scent of your sweet perfume!"

Well, that answered THAT question. Erza shivers at the sight of the tiny man in the ghastly black thong, before kicking him right in the face, and sending him flying across the water-park on reflex. "Get away from me!" There was nothing that creeped her out more than having this perverted little man constantly hitting on her.

"The one in the yellow is Erza?" Aiya looks at Itachi as the family finally arrives at the water-park. "She's the one that Sasuke likes?" Well she was certainly…not shy about making her irritation known. Not that Aiya could blame her. That little man was behaving rather strangely

Itachi chuckles, nodding at the sight. "That would be her. Erza 'Titania' Scarlet, Queen of the Fairies." And he couldn't disagree one bit about her temperament. "She is reputedly the strongest female wizard in all of Fairy Tail." And judging by that kick, that designation was not undeserved.

"Sasuke is going to have his hands full with that one." Aiya blinks as Kenji walks over to them, carrying some drinks.

Kenji nods in agreement. "Yes, he is." The other Uchiha shakes his head as he watches the display. "And well you know what they say about red heads."

"Yes…it seems that Sasuke prefers feistier girls." Itachi could feel his eyes turning red as a bikini-clad Mirajane entered his field of vision. "Fairy Tail is not short on them." Because what they said about redheads seemed to also go for She-Devils.

"And you seem to prefer the more innocent type." Aiya giggles as she sees Itachi's eyes bleed red for a sweet looking girl with a charming smile.

Well, he'd been caught, so there was no point in lying to his grandmother. "Innocent is not what I would call her." Not in the slightest, since Itachi had seen her fight Jenny. And it was…brutal. A turn-on, really. Maybe Sasuke was right, and he was a bit of a masochist for finding the S-Class wizard attractive. "Her nickname is the She-Devil. And name that she has most certainly earned."

She tilts her head at that. Well appearances could be deceiving, she supposed. "Oh. Well, it's good to find yourself a strong woman. This clan is not one where wallflowers flourish." And her great grandchildren would obviously be adorable. Maybe, they would inherit the She-Devil's big blue eyes?

Now THAT was amusing. Itachi couldn't imagine any wallflowers lasting very long in Fairy Tail. That, or the disposition would be trained out of them. "Sometimes, I feel as though their guild emblems should come with a warning that any female wearing one is capable of kicking you through a wall."

"What about the women in your guild though?" Kenji had noticed the gender ratio seemed lopsided. "What are they like?"

"Ah…well…they tend to enjoy calmer pursuits such as modeling and hosting clients." Itachi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I believe that they are more concerned about breaking a nail than fighting monsters or dark guilds." That, and maybe the women in the other guilds were just a little insane.

Well that sounded sensible to Aiya. "I can't blame them there. Breaking a nail is a rather irritating experience." She nods at this.

"Yes, and you do have such lovely nails." Kenji smiles as he kisses her cheek.

"You think every part of me is lovely." She laughs. "That or you just like to butter me up." To which the elderly Uchiha man only nods as Sasuke cautiously approaches Erza. Probably intent on protecting her from Ichiyo.

Itachi smirks at the sight of Sasuke's very vivid ruby eyes. There was no hiding his state from any of the family, but Erza was still uninformed, luckily for his foolish little brother. But it seemed that the youngest of Nature's Fury was finally growing some balls. Itachi had half expected to discover that his foolish little brother was actually his foolish little sister.

Hm…was that Jenny stealing Mira's top?

* * *

Sitting by the water's edge, Erza soaks her feet in the cool water, enjoying the feeling of the waves splashing against her legs. She was watching Natsu dragging Lucy off to splash around in the pool, and noting the looks that Gray was giving Lucy. It was amusing, really, that Juvia believed that Lucy was her 'rival'.

Sasuke slowly makes his way over to Erza. He had no idea what he was actually going to say to her, but he should really say something. The young Uchiha needed to warn her about his well-intentioned, but highly embarrassing family somehow.

Tilting her head towards the sound of footsteps behind her, Erza glances over her shoulder at the approaching Pegasus. Her eyes wander up and down his arm, looking at the tattoo now on full display, before flicking up to see ruby red eyes staring at her. "Hello, Sasuke. Are you well?" It hadn't escaped her notice that when Blue Pegasus arrived, several others had as well, foreigners, by the looks of it. And eerily similar to the three Uchiha boys. "You seem to have…guests?"

She thought his Sharingan meant he was sick. "I'm wonderful." Now that she was here and so was his family. He just had to ensure that his wonderful family didn't spectacularly humiliate him in front of her. "I figured that I should let you know the good news." He smiles at her. "Our birth family found us. They saw us on the lacrima vision."

"Really?" Her eyes widen, a smile blooming across her features. "Then I am glad for you. It must have been hard to be without them for so long." She couldn't imagine being without Fairy Tail for eleven years. The very thought of it was excruciating. "It also explains why there is such a resemblance between all of you."

"Yeah. They found us." He smiles both because he was overjoyed to be reunited with them and because well, her smile was that infectious to him. "It's just…well we haven't seen them for over a decade and they might be a little…overly inquisitive when it comes to finding out what they missed. So please don't be offended." He could envision this going wrong in a million different ways. "They truly have no idea what life is like in Fiore and…they fancy themselves matchmakers for the most part."

"That's quite alright." Erza was more than capable of dealing with a few overzealous family members. "If I can handle my own guild, I doubt that your family will be an issue." Though she did have to admit that it was nice to see Sasuke in such high spirits. His eyes intrigued her, as once again, they were not in battle, and that is where he seemed to use them most. But as long as he did not seem to be hurting, then it was fine. "Is that why you wandered here? To get away from your family?"

"No. I love them." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "It's just that I didn't want you to get ambushed." Which she was obviously going to get ambushed and since when did yellow become a sexy color? Apparently, since now. Was that swimsuit actually sparkling?

Well, that wasn't suspicious at all. Erza chuckles, shaking her head as she pats the floor beside her. "Why don't you sit? You should at least enjoy the water while you're here." After all, that was the entire point of coming to a water-park. "We have all day to do whatever we like."

She glances off towards her teammates, and more specifically to Natsu, who seemed to think that it was a brilliant idea to try riding the miniature train in the park. "I will not be playing chaperone today, so if you would like some company that is not trying to match you against your will, I think I'm more than capable of warding off the attempts of your family."

"That'd be nice." His eyes follow hers and he shakes his head at Natsu. "And I"m glad you're not playing chaperon today." It wasn't exactly against his will though. He did want to be with her, he just didn't want his family to meddle. "Does your guild do it too? Matchmaking?" It'd probably be the easiest way to see if there was someone she already had feelings for. Her response to such a question.

"Oh yes, Mira quite enjoys her matchmaking attempts, and her younger sister, Lisanna is more than happy to help her to that end." It was one of the things that Erza found irksome sometimes, but amusing at others. "Cana and Lucy have joined the sisters in that endeavor, though it is Mira who is quite fond of imagining what the children of the various couples would look like." Sometimes, the results could be slightly horrifying. "I believe that their current projects are Levy and Gajeel, Elfman and Evergreen, and Gray and Natsu."

She didn't list herself. That was good. "I knew about all of those, except for Elfman and Evergreen." Then again, he generally didn't pay much attention to them, so that wasn't surprising. "Well as long as your safe from the She-Devil's tangled web, I guess the only thing you have to worry about is dodging Ichiya."

"Oh, not even I am safe from Mira's machinations." Erza shakes her head. "She seems convinced that I have a 'stallion' of my own." Said stallion seemed to be rather interested in her non-existent love life. A good sign? Perhaps. "However, dodging Ichiya might be a futile pursuit. The man doesn't take no for an answer."

"Ichiya is determined. One has to give him that." Obsessive was more like it. "He doesn't mean any harm, but it's probably a good thing you're so firm with him and she's…that insistent?" He couldn't imagine anyone trying to boss Erza around. Then again, that one armor of Mira's had been pretty intimidating and she was the red head's guild mate. The Queen would probably tolerate her meddling to a certain extent.

"She tries, she feels that I need to move on." Move on from what could never be. Jellal had drawn that line in the sand long ago, and Erza respected his decision. "So Mira pushes an option for me. But with the games going on, I haven't really had the chance to investigate this 'stallion' very well. Though I hope to." Maybe it really would be enough to cast the wistful daydream of the impossible from the last corner of her mind.

Move on? He could read between those lines well enough. "She really likes the stallion metaphor, but she may have a point." Erza had been involved in a relationship before and presumably it had ended badly. "Only if you feel ready for such a thing though." Mentally, he kicks himself for being "surprised" by that. Erza certainly didn't lack for admirers. It was only natural that at least one of them would have attracted her attention before she was frozen and he "caught up" to her.

Erza smiles at the compassion coming from the young man beside her. "Yes, perhaps it is time to direct my interests elsewhere. Though I made my peace long ago with not getting what I wanted as a child. One's first love doesn't always mean happiness." Perhaps…it was time to test the waters again. "Though I should confess that I find myself growing very fond of this 'stallion' that Mira keeps referring to. It seemed like only yesterday that the boy was a child, and now…he's a strong, courageous, confident wizard." She smirks at the thought. "And he's become quite popular, now."

That didn't sound good. She was very focused on the stallion reference though. "Well that's good, but sometimes it does work out. First loves, I mean." Which made him feel like it was someone from his guild. Not Ren though. She had punched him. She'd chastised Eve as well. Which meant it was Itachi, Shisui, or him…if that theory was accurate. "Shisui is something of an exception in our clan."

Erza stifles a snort of laughter. "Yes, it seems to me as though Shisui is the exception to many rules." In fact, he often reminded her of Natsu, only more flirtatious and less destructive. "He reminds me greatly of a puppy. Eager for attention, and more than willing to give attention in return."

"Yes, that's an accurate description." Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. "He was a bit flirtatious back in the Leaf, but nothing like this. I think the nature of our guild, just amplified his natural…friendliness." That was probably the kindest way to put it.

"Is he the only one that was made friendlier by Blue Pegasus?" Erza raises a curious eyebrow.

Sasuke shrugs as an afterthought. "Itachi claims he's had a few relationships. I haven't seen him with anyone though." Despite trying to play that off, he had a sinking feeling that she meant him. "As for me, I'm too much like my grandfather for that."

"Well, I can't say that I've had the pleasure of meeting him, yet." Erza's eyes drift over towards the elderly couple lounging on the other side of the pool. "I take it that he is very…dedicated to your grandmother?" The elderly man certainly looked it, his eyes barely left his wife. And he looked at the woman like she was his entire world. It was…certainly something to be envied.

"That's one way to put it." Sasuke glances back at them briefly and smiles. "For him, it was love at first sight and for her, well I imagine she thought he was crazy." Extremely so. "It's a bit of a long story. For my grandfather, it was love at first sight, and the same for my mother with my father." Fugaku had also likely thought his mother was insane at first.

"I see…that's very nice." If only love were so easy for everyone. Erza smiles sadly. "I suppose that there's something to be said for being so optimistic." She loved her romance stories, and even her racy novels. But she'd learned the hard way that the world was cruel, and to put armor around her heart. Even now, years later, it was hard to rid herself of that armor.

She knew nothing of the world he came from and his memories, well he wasn't sure how much of them could really be trusted. "The terms would probably feel odd to you, but essentially…my grandmother used to be my grandfather's teacher. When they met, she was eighteen and he was thirteen." He laughs at that. It seemed to be something of an Uchiha Curse. The age gap. "Well you can imagine how mortified she was when he started making his declarations." And according to Aiya, his grandfather hadn't minced any words about the matter.

"My father won't let my mother tell me the details, but she's a few years younger than him as well." Sasuke shakes his head again. "I'm not exactly sure what happened, but mother claims she was the aggressor and it took her years to finally get his attention."

"So, it's a tradition in your family to fall in love with someone years older than you?" Erza couldn't help but find that rather funny. It seemed that no matter what world you came from, time had a way of messing with you.

"Depends, how you look at it. One side of the family would say they tend to fall for someone younger and the other would say they fall for someone older." It was just how it had worked out. Itachi could probably come up with some fascinating reasons why that was from an evolutionary perspective, but Sasuke wasn't going to get into that too much. "For the most part though, we tend to find our most precious person early…whether we realize it or not."

"I suppose that makes sense." She gazes at him softly. "And you? Have you found your most precious person?" It was such a romantic notion, and the sheer innocence of it made her smile.

"Yes." He nods. Sasuke hadn't been planning on baring his soul to her today, but the Uchiha couldn't lie to her. "I have." It was almost as if he was physically incapable of doing so. If he didn't know better, he would almost accuse her of using some sort of spell on him. He did know better though, Erza wouldn't do something like that.

And yet, she saw him with no women, which meant that, perhaps, he was being shy? Well, only one way to find out. And perhaps it would be enough to give him the push that he needed. She puts her hand on his back, smiling innocently at him. "Then I suggest that you clear your head and tell her. I find that swimming is a very refreshing way of doing so." And with that, she pushes him forward, sending him head-first into the water.

"That's what I'm trying to d-O!" Sasuke was about to do exactly that when he was shoved into the water. "Alright then, if that's the way you want to do things, that's how we'll do them!" He grabs her by the hand and pulls Erza right int other water!

Taking the plunge giddily, and surfacing a moment later, Erza laughs, splashing water all over the other drenched wizard. And, finding quite a bit of amusement in shaking the water out of his hair, she smiles. "See now? You should try to relax a little." She liked it when he was more playful. It was fun.

Sasuke's face suddenly burns bright red and he immediately pulls her into his arms. "Yeah. I'll keep that in mind, but your swimsuit…relaxed too much." Her top had fallen completely off her!

Erza blinks, looking down for a moment, before her face flushes to match her hair and she draws her arms in to try and preserve some kind of modesty. In private, with just her guild was one thing, but in public… "Ah…I'm sorry…" How embarrassing… "I-it wasn't supposed to do that!"

"Yeah, I figured." Well his Sharingan apparently wasn't going to deactivate anytime today, it seemed. "I'll flicker us to one of the swimming suit shops and get you another suit. You can just wait outside." He was pretty sure there was a tree behind the back of the shop. It should preserve…well some of her modesty and it wasn't too likely someone would go out back anyway.

"N-no, it's alright." Oh thank heavens for her foresight, or maybe just for her liking for keeping bikinis in stock. Her body begins to glow in the pool, her bottoms and the wayward top floating to the pool floor disappearing as she exchanges them for her much sturdier black bikini. "I always have extras."

"The black suits you." A lot. "But that's good that you had extras. Just don't let Ichiya know that." His eyes were apparently going to be red for the rest of his life. Sasuke might as well accept that fact now.

Black, like his hair. Erza found it a little ironic, despite her embarrassment. "And red suits you." His eyes were almost…glowing at her. In fact, they seemed to be even more red than before, if that was possible, and very fixated on… Wait, hadn't Shisui's eyes turned red earlier when Blue Pegasus had arrived, and as he was racing over to Cana, wearing her lingerie instead of a bathing suit? Click. "…Your eyes wouldn't happen to turn red through attraction, would they?"

Damn it! Well he probably should have realized that Erza would figure it out. "The Sharingan is activated by strong emotions. Usually anger, fear, adrenaline from battle, but…yes, attraction can do it as well." Only if it was a powerful one though. There were a lot of attractive women around this place and his eyes only activated for her.

…Well, that explained a lot. Sasuke found her attractive. Very attractive, it seemed. Hm…maybe it was a bad idea to have flashed him all of those armors when he was a kid. "You said…that you had found your most precious person?" Erza didn't know if his eyes had turned red for any other person, save for in the heat of battle, so… "When?"

"Awhile ago." He'd never said anything because Sasuke wasn't delusional. He hadn't been his grandfather or mother who would pursue the one they wanted the odds be damned. "Years ago." Then she had disappeared and now they were the same age physically. After that, well…it had been a matter of determining how she felt about him. "Maybe, Itachi is right." Did she still see him as a kid or an adult?

Well he supposed he was going to find out. Surprisingly chilly water and lots of screaming be damned as well. "It was you." He brushes his lips against hers. "It's always been you." Giving her time to protest and trying to drown out the sounds of screaming. Had he been paying more attention, he would have realized it was Gray and Lyon screaming and that the water was turning colder for a very specific reason, but he wasn't. He had eyes only fro her at the moment.

The way he looked at her lit a fire in her bones, but the gentle kiss, if it could be called that, was painfully hesitant. And contrasted with the cold water, Sasuke was so warm, unnaturally so, really. "I see." The hand that had once been flicking water out of his hair slides up his chest, feeling the warm planes of every muscle there, before gliding up his neck and back into his hair, fingers curling there as she reaches up to kiss him, a little experimentally. Maybe Mira was right. And maybe…it was time to try and open up her heart again.

Sasuke was one very happy Uchiha and was about to deepen the kiss when the water started turning to actual ice. "Damn it!" He quickly grabs Erza and jumps out of the water with her and onto the sides of the pool as it became startlingly apparent that ALL of the water in the park was now ice.

Erza's eye twitches, knowing who the culprits were. "Gray…" And where there was a Gray, there was usually a Natsu to be found. "Come on!" She grabs Sasuke by the hand, tugging him far away from the pool as fast as she was able. There was only one safe place, and that was far away from here. And with her senses on full alert, there was only one thing that concerned her, and that was Natsu's flaring magical power. Spotting the changing rooms ahead, she makes a beeline for the door and kicks it open as the entire park begins to grow very hot, very fast. So she slams the door behind them, barricading it against the blast.

"That idiot is trying to melt the ice." Sasuke growls in frustration as he heads into a changing stall. "There's probably not going to be a park left by the time those two are done." Of course, he had long ago learned how to change his clothes quickly and thus he was able to slip out the stall in record time. (Well record time for not using magic, of course).

By the time he emerges from the changing stall, Erza is already requipped into a light lilac summer dress, with matching sandals and hat. "Normally, I would find those two and give them a proper lecture regarding not destroying public property. However I believe that today, it would be best to leave that to Master Makarov." The change room rocks with the force of the magic in the park. "Will your family be alright?"

"They should be." Sasuke smiles at her reassuringly. "They're ninjas. They can handle the cold." And any other weather extreme thrown at them. "I have to admit that I wouldn't mind seeing you discipline the idiots." He shakes his head. "But I'm sure that Makarov can handle it though."

Well, disciplining her teammates did sound rather entertaining, when Sasuke put it that way. But she truly was more concerned about Sasuke's family. "Ninjas…" Yes, Erza had heard of such a thing before from Itachi. "Ninjas are what wizards are called where you come from, isn't that right?"

Sasuke nods at that. "That's one way to put it. Though usually ninjas are more focused on taijutsu than most wizards." She probably didn't have a clue what that was. "Taijutsu is just using your body to attack your opponent. Punches, kicks, weapons, and things of that nature."

"I see, so hand to hand combat." Erza knew that style very well. "Natsu and Gajeel are both very fond of that approach. As is Gray." Well, and a lot of wizards, actually. At least the more powerful ones. "Well, it is always good to have diversity within a guild."

"Yes, exactly." He had actually kissed her and she kissed back. Though Sasuke wasn't precisely sure where to go from there. "I imagine that you want to scold your guild and I should check on my family anyway, just to be on the safe side." How did his guild mates make this look so easy?! "Maybe, after the next games events are over, you'd like to go with me and we can get some cake or something."

Well, he was a little awkward about it, but Erza couldn't deny that Sasuke at least knew the way to her heart. "I think I'd like that." After all, she did like nothing better than her strawberry cake. But on a more sobering note, there was still one more day of the games, and Erza had learned earlier what that was going to entail. "And I would also like to test your skills for myself, tomorrow. So be sure not to be eliminated before the end."

"I wasn't planning it." He smirks at the last part. While he was no Shisui or Itachi when it came to flirtation, he was quite confident in combat skills. "I look forward to both the cake and fighting you."

"Good. I wouldn't want it any other way." Erza did not like battles where one didn't give it their all. Not even her enemies. It was disrespectful, in her opinion, to give your opponent anything less than your best. Well, short of trying to kill any of your allies. There was no need to ever go that far. "But do know that I won't be going easy on you. None of us will."

Sasuke smiles and caresses her cheek. "If I had wanted a woman who would go easy on me in battle, I wouldn't have fallen for you in the first place." The woman who likely had at least a hundred different kinds of armors. "Though like I said before, I'm afraid Fairy Tail will have to settle for second place this time. We're not going easy on any of you either." Though he wouldn't mind tearing into Sabertooth.

"Oh, you think so?" Erza's smile widens, her eyes glittering in excitement. "I suppose that we'll simply have to see about that."

"I know so." Sasuke smiles at her as his eyes dare to drift lower over curvaceous form. "We're still going to fight for first as hard as we can, but either way I still win."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Erza smirks at the thought, feeling…maybe just a little reckless. "Care to bet on the results of the games?"

He pauses at that. "Maybe, I imagine your bets are less unseemly than the majority of bets at this tournament." The sun dress flattered her. It complimented her vibrant red hair and fair skin rather elegantly. He still preferred the bikini, but it was nice. "I still win either way because I got to kiss the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen." Then again, he still suspected she could make a potato sack look alluring somehow.

"Well, then, how about this…" It wasn't unseemly, of course, but it was…potentially dangerous. "If I win, you will bow to my will for one whole day." Erza could think of many ways to entertain herself through such a wager.

"Alright." He nods in agreement. "That's fine. What do I get, if I win?" Sasuke figured that it was in his best interest not to tell her that, outcome would be no different than any other day really. They just hadn't interacted enough for her to notice the power she wielded over him.

"That…is up to you." She chuckles at the thought of naming all of the terms. "You are confident that Blue Pegasus will win. So, should that happen, what is it that you want? Name YOUR terms."

Sasuke tilts his head as he considers the question. "Same as you. That's a pretty flexible reward." There were a lot of possibilities involved in that one.

"Fair enough." Erza holds out her hand, satisfied with the terms. After all, she was still quite confident that her team would do what it took to win. "Then the winner will have the other at their beck and call for an entire day."

"Sounds perfect." Sasuke smiles as he shakes her hand. "Though I should probably go and check on them. I'll meet you at the booth that sells your cakes after the games." He didn't like the way Shisui was looking at them and when he made eye contact, his cousin darted off. That could only mean one thing. "And after you've dealt with the idiots." He was going to tell Itachi.

"Very well…" Though Erza was NOT looking forward to dealing with Natsu and Gray's antics. "Perhaps this time, I WILL lock the two of them in a room together to sort out their issues in a healthier fashion."

Sasuke laughs at that. "They'd just destroy the room." And they both knew it, he thinks to himself as he quickly weaves through the crowd of agitated people back to his family.

Itachi raises an eyebrow as his foolish little brother approaches the place behind a large row of palm trees that their family had taken shelter in when the dragon slayer had gone on his rampage. "That was fast. Are you already finished with your date, Sasuke?"

"Itachi!" He glares at his brother. "She was worried about all of you and had to deal with her teammates." Sasuke sighs as he gestures around to the destroyed water-park. "For obvious reasons."

"Yes, and you've dodged the question." Itachi shoots him a pointed look, lowering it so that the rest of their family would not eavesdrop. "Do you think that I did not notice you slipping off with her during the chaos, or the incident in the pool?"

"I knew you would because you have an unhealthy fixation when it comes to my love life." Sasuke shakes his head. He loved his brother, but like all siblings they had their quarrels. "I knew you'd notice." There were times when he was sincerely tempted to Chidori his brother, but he couldn't actually bring himself to do it outside of training.

"Yes, because I care, Sasuke." Itachi shakes his head, before poking Sasuke's. "I fixate because I want you to be happy, and she makes you very happy."

"Yes, she does." Sasuke twitches. "And will you STOP poking my forehead?!" It was a rhetorical question more than anything else. They both knew the answer to that question.

Itachi smirks. "Never."


	19. Chapter 19

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Date and awkward father-son binding chapter ahead. Sweet, funny, and a little cringe-worthy at times, but I hope that you guys like it. And next chapter, the final day of the games begins.

Chapter 19

Never before had Erza thought it so necessary to confine Natsu and Gray to bar brawls. At least they didn't cause the sort of damage that happened at the water-park earlier. Disaster would be putting it mildly, and she was about ready to requip them both into her pocket dimension to hang out with a quarter of her wardrobe until they sorted out all of their damn tension! Honestly, such wanton destruction was unbecoming of Fairy Tail wizards.

And yet…it was completely expected. After all, they hadn't held the title of the strongest guild in Fiore for nothing.

Erza sits on the bar, surveying the room carefully as Natsu and Gray sit in a forceful timeout, courtesy of Makarov. Though the redhead was pretty sure that their master was about ready to bang their heads together and make them kiss already, because this was getting utterly ridiculous.

Not only that, but they had interrupted her time with Sasuke, which had irked her greatly. How he managed to be a charming man of Blue Pegasus, while still carrying those traces of the awkward young boy she knew back then was a mystery, but…one that she rather looked forward to unraveling. Well, if circumstances permitted. After all of the bad omens and tragedy in her life, she was still wary of falling so easily in love.

Not that it had been hard the first time. But maybe…it could be different now? Maybe…if she wished hard enough…the fairies might grant that wish. She sighs at the thought. "Maybe things will be different this time…"

While Erza was lost in her own internal musings, Sasuke had managed to travel the distance from his own inn, all the way to the Fairies. "Gray, put your clothes on." He shakes his head as he sees the ice stripper (whoops, he meant wizard) and Natsu going at it again. Or rather, trying to. It was a hard thing to do when being squished under Makarov's giant hands.

"I'm sorry about earlier." He makes his way over to Erza and smiles. "It was just chaotic with my family's return and these two idiots destroying the water-park." Understatement of the century. "So I was hoping that you'd want to go get something to eat with me before the last game starts tomorrow?"

Erza's thoughts had already screeched to a halt upon the appearance of Sasuke's voice. Seeing him standing there was something of a shock to the Queen. "Sasuke…I wasn't expecting to see you until we fought tomorrow." Strange. "You…want to go out for dinner?" Had she heard that right?"

Sasuke nods at that. "Yes, I thought it'd be better this way." He smirks at her. "This way, we can just enjoy each other's company without worrying about the other sulking over the results of the Game tomorrow." The implication was clear, Sasuke was still feeling cocky, but then again...what eighteen year old man wasn't cocky now and then?

"I see." Now that was an idea. "Very well." Erza smiles slyly. "I think that I could do with a break from the idiocy."

"Erza!" Makarov shoots Erza a significant look. "If you're going with the boy for the evening, be sure to remember Porlyusica's gift from your eighteenth birthday, I can wait for more great-grandchildren." Asuka was enough for him, for now.

"Porlyusica's gift?" Sasuke blinks in confusion, but then he twitches as it clicks. "I asked her to dinner not to bear my child. Besides, if we were trying to give Asuka a playmate, we'd both miss tomorrow's match."

Cana laughs at that as she takes another swig of her drink. "I guess his guild really did rub off on him." She pours herself another glass and makes a mock toast motion. "Stallions don't do quickies. At least that's what Ren claims and Sherry hasn't complained so yeah!"

Erza pats Sasuke shoulder, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, my family has a habit of blowing things far out of proportion."

"Aw…" Mira pouts at the two of them. "But just imagine how beautiful the babies would be!" She could imagine raven hair and brown eyes, lightly tanned skin, and a cheerful smile.

The redhead sighs. "My point, exactly." Mirajane was incorrigible, unapologetically so. If there was a couple to be found, she wanted to see babies. Erza drops her voice. "Perhaps if she had a few of her own, she would fuss less over the rest of us."

Cana laughs and shakes her head. "Well she's not really denying it, so I guess Mira can go baby crazy again." Just as long as her old man didn't. Damn. Her father really got around!

"Right. It's fine." Sasuke smiles at Erza. "Believe me, my guild and family can be just as outrageous. They just usually don't destroy public property or take off their clothes in the process." He takes her hand and glances at the door. "So is that a yes?"

Erza eyes the gesture curiously. It was very…Blue Pegasus. "That is a yes." And as long as it got her away from her guild mates right now, she would go…almost anywhere with him. Damn them!

Sasuke smiles more and leads her off. "Great. So were you still in the mood for cakes or did you wanna go somewhere specific?" It was a rhetorical question really . The day Erza didn't want her cakes, was the day that Sasuke would attack the person impersonating his Queen. She always wanted her cakes.

"You had me at cake." Though Erza's cheeks suddenly go as red as her hair once the two of them are out of sight of the bar. "And…about what you said…back there…"

"Cake it is." Sasuke smiles and then he realizes, he might have overdone it. "You can smack me, if you want." Yeah. His guild was rubbing off on him. "That doesn't make any of it less true. Don't worry about it though. I wouldn't assume that you wanted to go for an Asuka on our first official date." His guild may have rubbed off on him, but not THAT much.

"Ah, well…um…not that part." Goodness, how was she supposed to say this without sounding like a pervert. "When you said that if we were…we'd miss the games tomorrow…was there…any truth to that?"

"Erza, I'm from Blue Pegasus." The words were now pouring out of his mouth faster than his brain caught up to them. His pride was now talking. "And you're my Queen. That means you can ride me as long and as often as you want. I'm a ninja in addition to a wizard. So stamina isn't really a concern." Fuck. Now, he sounded like Shisui.

Well, now that sounded like a challenge. Enough so that the blush mostly fades from Erza's cheeks. It seems that he wasn't appalled by the question. Good. "Is that so? Then perhaps this Queen should attempt to tame the wild stallion before it races off to find wilder pastures."

He had expected to get slapped for that. Sasuke had actually been braced for it. "That's not necessary." So her response shocked him, honestly. Though he'd go with it. "For two reasons, one I doubt there are wilder pastures available because you're you. Second, you don't need to tame me. You already have my heart." Maybe, that was a little too sentimental. "So while your Bondage Armor looks great on you, no whips or anything of that nature are necessary." Yeah. That was probably better.

Erza's eyes widen, but she sighs and looks away from him, her lips curling in spite of herself. "That's a shame, I rather like that armor." But the sudden declaration unsettled her. "But be careful about giving your heart away. I know that you believe in first loves working out, but it's not always like that. You would be exceptionally lucky if it did." Unlike her.

"Well it does flatter you." Then again, so did everything else she wore. "I probably should have been more careful, but I was only twelve and I'm not that naive." He smiles at her. "I know that not every love story has a happy ending and whoever it was that got to you before me, I pity him. It's not different than entering the Games though." He caresses her cheek. "Not really."

"It's hard to imagine, but I've lost fights before." He rolls his eyes. "Mostly to my brother and cousin when I was little. That didn't stop me from entering the Games now though." Sasuke smiles at her. "If you're never willing to take a risk, you probably won't lose anything, but you won't really gain anything either."

Erza smiles sadly. "I am not afraid of risking my life, Sasuke. But my armor also shields my heart, and it's not easy to truly open it to others." Which, she didn't like, but it was a sad reality of her situation. "Risking my life is easy. Risking my heart is not."

He smiles and kisses her forehead. "Well you can't be that afraid or you didn't let your fear control you because you kissed back and you agreed to join me for dinner." Sasuke pauses. "Unless that's just your elaborate ploy to trick me into eating so much cake that I get fat and then you're planning to sick the Ice Stripper and Fire-Breath on me so you'll have an easier win tomorrow."

She was afraid, but she could let him believe otherwise. "No, I have no intention of getting you fat off cake. You're far more attractive now." And besides, no one deserved to have Natsu AND Gray going after them, not unless they were in a dark guild. And even then, she pitied their opponents.

"So you only want me for my body then?" He smirks as he wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Well I can live with that at least for now."

Chuckling at the bold move, Erza ruffles up his soft, spiky hair. "Now when did I ever say that?" He was such a cheeky, cocky one. It was…cute, really. And exciting, too.

"You implied it." She seemed to like his hair. He had thought it was just Erza's way of treating him like a child, but maybe the Queen just really had liked running her fingers through her lover's (or at least prospective lover's) hair. "I feel it's only fair to warn you, excessive giggling may result if any of the female members of my family see us together and the males will be worse than Makarov."

"Is that so?" Erza shakes her head. "I am an S-Class wizard, Sasuke, I think that I am more than capable of handling a few giggling or nosy family members." They couldn't possibly be worse than her own when they REALLY got going. The water-park incident was still rather…tame, compared to some of their antics.

He smirks at that. "You say that now only because you don't know them very well." Sasuke just hoped she was right about that.

"Really?" Erza couldn't see them as being that difficult to handle, not if one used the right…methods. "I suppose that I could requip into my Purgatory Armor and scare some sense into them. They would be the first to witness that armor and live to tell the tale, though."

"Purgatory Armor sounds a bit...excessive." He blinks at the name. "Anyway, let's go get some food before Natsu and Iron Mouth come out and steal it all." Sasuke laughs at the thought. Though he was only half joking.

"Indeed." Though she still thought that the Purgatory Armor might be a good idea. "Our dragon slayers have rather fearsome appetites." In fact, to feed them until every single one of them was full…would probably take an entire room of buffet tables.

He smiles and leads her off. "Yes, so I've noticed." Just happy that at least to some extent, while she was still a bit guarded around him...Erza seemed to return his feelings. (Though he wasn't particularly eager to see what she meant by Purgatory Armor).

It wasn't long before Erza's nose caught the scent of strawberry cake, the greatest creation in all of Earthland. "Oh…I smell cake…" It was something that she could just about moan over. In fact, she was pretty sure that's what she had her first orgasm over.

"Yes, I do too." He laughs and guides her towards her precious cake.

* * *

Dinner and dessert…a beautiful combination when topped off by a tenth whole cake disappearing into Erza's mouth by the time that 'dinner' was over. And, of course, she decided to cover her own costs, knowing full well that perhaps ten cakes was a little on the excessive side. Well, to anyone but her. "Well, that was a pleasant dinner, wasn't it?" She smiles at her date, feeling quite content, as her sweet tooth had been sated.

Sasuke honestly wasn't sure where she put it. "Very pleasant." Damn. She must train a lot or maybe, she just naturally had a fast metabolism. "You're probably going to still be in the middle of a sugar rush tomorrow though."

"Perhaps…or perhaps I'm simply always having a sugar rush." It was a possibility that she had contemplated before, and one that she had contemplated a similar idea for, regarding Natsu's seemingly boundless energy, coupled with his boundless appetite.

"Well if you ever need a fun way to work off your excess energy, let me know." He smirks as he kisses her hand. "I'm always happy to be of service to my Queen." Again, he blamed his guild but she hadn't slapped him yet. So it was probably alright to channel his inner Hibiki.

Erza's eyes dance with amusement. "You've been taking lessons from Hibiki, haven't you?" Blue Pegasus had certainly had an interesting impact on him while she'd been gone. "Very charming…and extremely naughty."

"Well...not formal lessons, but he is my teammate." One couldn't help, but be influenced by their guild mates to some degree, he supposed. "So maybe a little?" She had said charming. Which meant she liked it though.

"I see, that makes sense." This was…good, she could work with this. And if he didn't mind this behavior, then perhaps… "Then, perhaps, with your newfound knowledge of certain…subjects, you might soon help me test out one of my newer armors." If they got that far, anyway.

"Newer armors?" Sasuke tries his best not to look too hopeful. "What did you have in mind?" Or stutter. That would be humiliating.

"My Seduction Armor hasn't yet been…tested." It was a tricky one, considering its purpose, and it embarrassed Erza to no end for having bought it in the first place. "I have tried it on in private, however, never in front of another. I thought that it might be good to see how it holds up in battle." Very…specific battle.

If the Seduction Armor was as aptly named as the rest of her armors, that was one test Sasuke could fully get behind. "I'd love to help you test it out." As soon as possible, but of course he knew better than to add that last part.

"Then I will make a note of that." Though there was one other armor that she was rather hopeful to test out. "And perhaps tomorrow, you might help me test my Nakagami Armor. It is another new addition to my collection." And one that Erza hadn't yet worn at all.

"Yeah. Sure." He wasn't really sure what the purpose of that one was, but he'd go with it.

"Thank you." The competition of the final day looked like it was going to be very interesting. Erza was…excited about it. "Then I will make sure not to disappoint."

Sasuke smiles at her. "I doubt you could ever disappoint me." Having no idea, at that moment, just what he was in for.

* * *

His family was safe, for now, this place was strange, but not unwelcoming. With that in mind, Fugaku felt fairly safe leaving his family in the hands of Blue Pegasus. The guild, as they were called, had raised his sons very well, from what he could tell. And for that, he would forever be grateful.

There were some things, however, that a father was required to do. And seeing as he hadn't seen his youngest son in over a decade, it was likely long overdue that he really get to know the boy. While Itachi and Shisui's personalities were well-known to him, even before they disappeared, Sasuke's was something of a mystery, since he didn't appear to be the shy, cheerful child who always clamored for his family's attention anymore. A boy who never would have dreamed of getting tattoos inked all over his skin. No, clearly, this was not the child he remembered. And he WAS going to get to the bottom of this, even if he had to wait half the night for Sasuke to return to the inn from his 'walk'.

As soon as he saw spiky raven hair coming through the door, the Uchiha patriarch began to move.

Sasuke smiles as he walks back into the inn. It was late. So he was trying to be quiet. He didn't want to wake anyone. Though it seemed, that at least one person was still awake.

He tilts his head in confusion. "Father?" What he was he doing up at this hour? "Is everything alright? If you're worried about our clan's safety, you don't have to be. Blue Pegasus is far more trustworthy than the Leaf was." It was painful to say that about the place of his birth, but it was true. This guild would never sanction genocide against some of its own members!

Fugaku shakes his head at the exclamation. "No, it's nothing of the sort." In fact, the very opposite seemed to hold true here, at least for some of the guilds. "It is quite clear that certain guilds here consider the very notion of such a thing to be, at the very best, appalling, and at worst, something to be forcibly prevented at any and all costs." Even if that should bring them into conflict with the authorities, as the case seemed to be, what with all of the stories that their family had been told that evening about Fairy Tail. That guild was apparently the one to beat, even if Blue Pegasus still held a narrow lead on them in the competition. "So, no, I do not fear for our safety here."

"Oh good." Sasuke smiles at him. "Sorry that we haven't really had much of chance to talk between the Games and the chaos." Most of that chaos came from the water-park's utter destruction, but still.

"And your…four and a half hour walk?" Fugaku raises an eyebrow, gesturing to the place on the couch next to him. "I do wonder just what could keep you out so late." It was nearly the middle of the night. Not that it really mattered, as the competition didn't start for another twelve hours.

Right. He probably deserved that. For years, Sasuke had wanted nothing more than his family's approval and just to know that they were safe. Now, that they were actually here though, he felt as if his tongue had been frozen by one of Gray's ice spells.

"Well it was more than just walking, but yeah. That as well." He sits down next to his father. "I also got food." And Erza had promised to show him two more of her armors. The Seduction Armor sounded really promising, but he didn't think that it would be wise to discuss that particular aspect of their conversation.

"And does it have to do with this Queen that your brother keeps mentioning?" Fugaku did find it rather strange hat Itachi would keep mentioning her. Well, until he found out that Sasuke's Sharingan activated at the sight of her. That answered quite a few questions.

At that, Sasuke felt his face grow hot. Fuck! This could not be happening! "Well truthfully, I went on the walk and got dinner with her." He was not blushing in front of his father!

"I see." Yes, many questions had now been answered to his satisfaction. And, of course, it would be his fault as a father, if Sasuke were not properly educated to deal with such situations. "Very, well. Then I suppose it is time that you received an explanation, rather than simply your brother's teasing. There comes a point in a young man's life when he will start to find women very attractive. This usually happens during puberty, and is completely natural. However, you should keep in mind that when tentatively exploring this new realm, one has to be careful not to have any 'accidents'."

"..." The young wizard was trying his best not to gape at his father like a fish, but it was difficult. "Yes, I know that. I um appreciate what you're trying to do, but you don't have to." He was about eight years too late. "I already know about kunais and pouches. You're not in any danger of becoming a grandfather in the immediate future." Well unless Itachi got a little too frisky with the She-Devil and decided to have a bunch of Mini Red-Eyed Devils running around. Which was an amusing, though terrifying thought to ponder.

Fugaku blinks, before nodding slowly. "I see. Good." Well, that wasn't awkward at all. "Did Shisui and Itachi explain kunais and pouches to you?"

"Not exactly, but it doesn't really matter who explained such things to me." So long as he knew. Well at least that was the case in Sasuke's mind. "We've got our own place now, you know? Shisui, Itachi, and I do. You guys could stay there or just in the Pegasus guild in general, if you want to rent rooms. Of course, we'll have to save up to get a bigger house eventually, if you prefer the former. It'll be cramped, but everyone will be able to fit. " He pauses and adds. "Though the guild is much bigger."

Fugaku sighs, shaking his head. "The three of you are at an age where you are grown, and would likely have moved out of our home, were we still in our world. Your home is your personal space, and it would be wrong to encroach upon it." Besides, the guild had been rather helpful earlier, figuring out renting schedules and how to get every Uchiha into a more stable working situation once they joined the guild.

It was all a very strange process, to say the least. "Your guild mates have been very kind, and very supportive. And I believe that Kiyoshi and Kaito are planning on getting to work immediately after the Games, something about hunting monsters. And Akane has expressed some tentative interest in modeling, while your grandfather is quite convinced that tending the bar with Bob would be easy enough while making the transition. Though I suspect that Kiyoshi and Kaito's antics are more than a little enticing."

"We wouldn't mind. We've been separated for so long, but I guess the guild is more practical just for spacial reasons." Their home was more than comfortable for three people, but adding another dozen would have made everything a tight squeeze. "Grandfather would probably enjoy tending to the bar and monster hunting is a good way to earn money to get by. I'd say most of those are probably B to S Class Missions." Though it was Akane he was worried about. "Akane is beautiful, but the women in this realm are more...well they're less shy about their bodies. You saw what they wear at the water-park. That's common here." He wasn't sure if Akane could actually be a model, beauty aside.

"Yes, the women here are clearly not shy." Honestly, it was something of a culture shock to see women walking around as though they worked in red-light districts, and yet, seemed to get offended if you tried to touch them. He'd observed the practice at the 'water-park' earlier in the day, though he'd made sure to watch people only as a means to understand just what sort of world they had been dropped into. And apparently, it was one where the women chose to wear very…very little."In light of that, perhaps Akane might be better suited to some of the more creative jobs offered by the guild."

He'd heard of the absolutely enormous range of jobs that could be done, exceeding even the mission lists back in the Leaf, and more than a few kinds of jobs seemed complicated and demanding, if not particularly difficult. It seemed that more specific or more broad skill sets determined what kind of jobs a wizard took. "What sort of jobs do you find yourself taking?"

"Yes, that might be best." He pauses and decides to clarify. "Akane is beautiful. Don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure that she'd feel comfortable displaying as much skin as she'd likely be asked to do so." That's when his father asked about jobs. Oh boy. This was going to take awhile.

"Well some wizards specialize in certain kinds of missions, but there's almost no limit to the options available." He'd done quite a variety of things, himself. "Usually I stick to catching criminals and dealing with dark guilds, myself, these days. But I also like finding artifacts in old ruins, they're scattered all over the kingdom. And I even get paid to change the weather sometimes."

He should probably be more thorough. "There is of course bar-tending, hosting, modeling, finding magical objects, pest extermination, providing security, hunting monsters, and almost anything. Natural disaster relief also pays well, but it's fairly rare as you might imagine."

"I've tried a bit of everything really." Well, everything that he had the magical abilities to complete. If nothing else, this world certainly offered variety. "Itachi likes breaking curses and rescuing people best. Shisui he loves modeling, enchanting, and rescuing people. Itachi sometimes models though." Shisui was more of a peacock than his brother though. "They both occasionally serve as hosts as it's good money."

Fugaku was honestly stunned by the sheer variety in the work his sons and nephew took. But at hearing that Sasuke's specialties lay in dealing with criminals, he felt a surge of pride. "I see. Then the three of you are doing very well for yourselves, that's good." But that did worry him a little. Many of those jobs sounded difficult for teenagers, let alone a child of almost eight. "What about when you first arrived? Where did the three of your start?"

"I mostly helped Master Bob at the bar so that he could keep an eye on me. Itachi was a server, and Shisui took to hosting since the pay and tips were a bit better." It was probably best to clarify. "Basically, Itachi was a waiter, and then, eventually we both joined Shisui in hosting." Maybe, should leave that to Fugaku's imagination. He understood the basics of that. He was a Clan Head, though usually the Uchiha weren't such flirtatious hosts. "As for missions, we worked our way up."

"Good." Even without family support, they'd grown to be independent and self-sufficient. And Fugaku…honestly, though he wasn't good at showing it, he couldn't be prouder of his boys. "The three of you have done very well for yourselves." And if two teenagers and a small child could succeed, there was no reason why grown adults couldn't. He smiles at his son, nodding slowly. "I'm very proud of you."

"Really?" He blinks. Sasuke had never really heard his father say those words before. "Well good! I'm glad that you're back." Fugaku had implied them once or twice, but he'd never said them so directly. If it wasn't beneath his dignity as an Uchiha, he probably would have glomped him with happiness.

Fugaku smiles warmly at his son, something he hadn't really been able to do when Sasuke was a child, not with all of the tension within and outside of the clan. But now…things were different. His relationship with his sons could be different. "I am glad to be here." Though…there was one other thing. "Now, about this…" His eyes drop to Sasuke's shoulder, the left one. The right held the guild emblem, and that much, he understood, it was like having an ANBU tattoo, or your Leaf headband on your arm. The other arm, however, was covered from shoulder, likely almost to the wrist with ethereal-looking flames.

"The tattoo was Shisui's idea." He smiles at Fugaku, not realizing that his father probably wasn't too enthused about his bodywork. "We've got a nickname. Nature's Fury. Shisui is known as Hurricane. Itachi got Tsunami and well, I'm Inferno."

"Nicknames that align with your chakra natures." He'd known, of course, about Itachi and Shisui's other natures, but Sasuke's were still something of a mystery. "Shisui's wind affinity, Itachi's water affinity, and your fire affinity." The one that they all shared. Fugaku knew that it was a rare Uchiha who did not have a fire affinity, it was nearly unheard of. "…You're a little young to be getting tattoos, aren't you?"

Sasuke hadn't really expected that. "Well depends how you look at it. Itachi got his ANBU Mark before I got my fire, but you're right. It was to align with our chakra natures." He should probably smooth this over. "I've only got two tattoos though, if you don't count my emblem."

There was ANOTHER one!? "And just where is the second?" Fugaku could hardly believe it, his youngest son was running around getting tattoos!?

"It's on my chest." Apparently, Fugaku shared Itachi's skepticism of tattoos. "I'm not planning on getting any more. So you don't have to worry." He smiles at him sheepishly.

Fugaku pauses, eyes dropping to the aforementioned place, scrutinizing it, but seeing nothing through the fabric. "…What is tattooed there?"

Idly, Sasuke wonders what Fugaku was actually imagining that he had gotten. "Nothing bad." Though he decides to ease his father's mind and slowly slides off his shirt. Showing an inked version of the Uchiha Crest adorning his chest, close to his heart.

The man's expression softens at the sight. "Keeping your family close to your heart." And the other displayed his inner nature, the fire that burned inside him, as well as its conduit into the world. Perhaps there were only two, but Fugaku could see the careful thought put into them. They were not just the whim of a teenager rebelling and seeking independence, but carefully done pieces of art that meant something. "Very well, I will not protest them. It seems that they belong precisely where they are."

"Thank you." Sasuke smiles. "Besides, it's a little late to protest them seeing as they're already there." He looks around, wondering if anyone else was going to ambush. "Surprised that you let mother out of your sight to be honest. My guild mates are...well they don't mean any harm, but they're very friendly towards anything feminine and pretty."

Fugaku chuckles, his Sharingan activating for a moment. "I believe that I've convinced them not to do anything foolish. It seems that the three of you have a sufficiently impressive reputation that a mere flash of the Sharingan can work wonders to ensure compliance."

Sasuke couldn't help, but smirk at that. "Well that's true. Itachi and Shisui are pretty easy going, but they've managed to properly train our guild mates to associate the Sharingan with a lot of pain, if they don't wise up."

"Yes, so it seems." Fugaku frowns, knowing full well where their Sharingan came from. Sasuke's though…that was something of a mystery. "You have the Sharingan as well. It activated for that girl." That meant that Sasuke had seen more pain than his relatively positive demeanor would suggest. For Itachi and Shisui, it had been the pain and sadness of seeing war, and for Shisui in particular…someone very close to his heart had died. "When did it first appear?"

At first, he felt his face flush again at his father's words. Fugaku obviously knew what that meant when your Sharingan activated for someone. That was until the second question. "Years ago." He'd rather take good-natured taunts or awkward advice over that, any day. What his father was really asking is what had upset him enough for trigger a Sharingan activation in a seemingly peaceful land.

"Why?" Although it was a power coveted by their clan, and the younger you activated it, the faster you mastered it, the more you held up to be a prodigy. But the reality was very different, and Fugaku knew that.

"It's complicated." Sasuke shakes his head. "Shisui and Itachi, when we first came here, I was under the impression that we were just on a mission." He smiles wistfully at the thought, clearly lost in a memory of some kind. "That we would go back after a few weeks or months. They were just trying to protect me." To keep him from panicking. "Eventually, I found out the truth." His voice chokes slightly. "I thought that we were never going to see any of you again. That you were all dead."

Clearly, that meant that it had happened not too long after they arrived, perhaps a few months, but no longer. Fugaku sighs. "That is…unfortunate." And utterly traumatic to an eight-year old. Then again, they had both inherited their mother's sensitivity, so it was no wonder that such a thing had occurred. "Well, we are here now. So we should hope that it develops no further." No matter the powers that it granted, there were terrible drawbacks. "The cost is higher than anyone should have to pay."

He wanted to tell his father that he wanted to get the more evolved forms, but Sasuke couldn't. "I'm just glad that you're all here." He wasn't completely naive. He knew exactly why Fugaku didn't want him to get the Mangekyo or, 'worse', an Eternal Mangekyo. Shisui had explained it all to him and Itachi years ago, and the requirements weren't appealing, to say the least. So he wasn't going to spoil the moment by debating the matter.

"Yes, so am I." Fugaku felt an odd sensation, an awkward desire to embrace his son. It was…very…warm and fuzzy. He quickly shakes the thought from his mind. "In any case, things will be different now. We will protect our family here. We will survive, and we will thrive."

Mikoto walks down the stairs and shakes her head. "Gods and goddesses, Fugaku." Honestly. She didn't know who was worse. "Just embrace our son as I know you want to." There was almost nothing more stubborn than an Uchiha man. "And Sasuke, don't be afraid. He might be a grizzly bear on the outside,but he's really more of a teddy bear, once you get past his exterior." But that was an Uchiha woman, thank you very much.

Fugaku shoots his wife an irritated glare, though more embarrassed than anything else, before turning hesitantly to his son and, acting on his earlier impulse, wrapping his arms around the boy. He'd been so little the last time Fugaku had done this. Thankfully, this time, he had no fear of crushing the boy by accident.

Sasuke was pretty sure that his father's own face was a bit redder than normal, but he could have been imagining that. "Good talk?" To which Mikoto just shakes her head in amusement. Well progress was progress.

"Yes…" Well, despite the slight discomfort of the act, Fugaku did feel like there had been a lot accomplished, though there was still much more to accomplish with his sons. And…perhaps a whispered piece of advice wouldn't hurt. "I know that you don't plan on making me a grandfather soon, but your mother may ambush you regarding the topic. She very much would like to have grandchildren."

To which, Sasuke just gulps in terror.


	20. Chapter 20

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Alright, time for the major show to start. And canon be damned, this is where the FUN starts. Oh, and the rules for obtaining the MS are fairly simple. Either you see someone you love die in front of you, and it causes sufficient trauma to unlock the evolution, you BELIEVE that one of your most loved ones dies in front of you, OR you have sufficient reason to believe that it's about to happen right before your eyes, and that causes the utter fear and anger required for the chakra to begin flowing differently through the brain. So, with these three possibilities in mind…we give you this chapter.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I think that this is the chapter that a lot of people have been waiting for and I'm probably not the only one who wanted to deliver some just desserts to at least one wizard. Though just so you know, we're planning on releasing an update on this story every other day for the foreseeable future. My coauthor's schedule is about to get a little busier, but we will try to update as often as we can. Anyway, happy reading!

Chapter 20

There was something VERY wrong with this picture. Not that Itachi was complaining in any way, at least, not concerning their chances of winning. But something was definitely up if Fairy Tail was pulling this kind of stunt on the last day of the games, where every point counted.

The designated leader of the Blue Pegasus team stares at the Fairy Tail team with a mixture of shock, relief, and confusion, with an underlying current of dread. "They've removed Natsu from today's line-up." Though Itachi couldn't fathom WHY they were taking out arguably one of the strongest members of their guild on the crucial last day.

Sasuke frowns. He didn't like it. While Natsu rubbed him the wrong way more often than not, he was one of Fairy Tail's strongest members. "Either something major is going on and I mean Raven Tail level of fighting dirty or they benched him for being a hot head."

"I agree with the former possibility." Itachi honestly couldn't see them only taking out Natsu. Erza's ability to strategize easily made up for Natsu's casual disregard of most strategy. "If they had concerns about his hot-headed demeanor, they wouldn't have allowed him to participate in the first place."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm not complaining." Hibiki grins sheepishly. "Anything that keeps Natsu out of the fighting is good for the team."

"I'm not sure I agree." Sasuke knew that if it sounded too good to be true, it probably was. "There has to be a reason they'd take him out."

Eve laughs nervously. "Are you saying that you WANT to fight Natsu?" After the way he single-handedly brought down both of Sabertooth's dragon slayers, the snow wizard was NOT looking forward to fighting the monster that was Natsu Dragneel.

Sasuke wouldn't mind knocking a dragon slayer on their ass just on principle, but that wasn't his point. "My point is something is up and it might be bigger than the Games." Though he didn't have a clue as to what that was.

"Then first, we win, and then we can go about finding out what's going on." After all, they couldn't simply quit in the middle of the game, Itachi knew that, it would reflect badly on their guild. But as soon as the game was over…it was another matter entirely.

"Right." Sasuke nods in agreement. "Well lets go." The sooner they finished this, the sooner they could figure out what was going on.

As the crowd finally got over their own shock at not seeing Natsu with the Fairy Tail team, circles appear underneath each of the six teams, transporting them in a flash of light to various spots throughout the city. After all, today, the entire city of Crocus was their battlefield.

* * *

"Strange." Mikoto tilts her head as she sits by her husband and Shisui while sitting in the stands. "I don't see the pink haired one." From what little she knew of the guilds thus far, it would seem he was one of Fairy Tail's top fighters. So why wasn't he joining them? Had he been injured?

"Yes, strange indeed." Fugaku had noticed that they replaced that one with a blue-haired woman. And from what his Sharingan had shown him, it seemed as though she was not nearly as powerful as the…dragon slayer, he believed the pink one was called. But she didn't appear particularly weak, though. Compared to most of the team, she was, but compared to most of the other competitors, certainly not. "Shisui, do you have any idea why they would remove the 'pink-haired wall of utter destruction and chaos from the team?" That's what Itachi had muttered under his breath the day before, and after the display during the match, and at the water-park, Fugaku was inclined to agree.

Shisui shakes his head in confusion. "I have no idea, but I doubt it's for any good reason. Sabertooth is bringing two Dragon Slayers into the mix. I'm lost as to why they would bench one of their counters to that."

"That does seem to be rather counter-productive." Fugaku looks to the screens as the gong sounds, and the teams begin to move. "However, they seem to be considered the team to beat. Can you tell us anything about them?" Fugaku was rather curious as to what his sons were up against here.

Shisui nods at the question. "They're all...well I guess you could say Jonin Level or higher. Though ANBU would be more accurate." He pauses as he considers the best way to answer that. "Juvia, the blue haired one, has powerful water jutsu. Gajeel is an Iron Dragon Slayer. He's the one with all the piercings." That was one way to put it. "Laxus is the blond. He's a Lightning Dragon Slayer." Enough said. "Gray is the black haired one without the piercings. He uses ice jutsu." The young wizard takes a moment to catch his breath. "Finally, Erza is the red head. She's known as the Queen of the Fairies and relies on a combination of ninjutsu and taijutsu to summon magical armors."

Fugaku raises an eyebrow at that. "They have how many dragon slayers?" The pink-haired boy was one, and there was the one with the piercings, though knowing that he was an Iron Dragon Slayer explained those, and then the tall blond man was one. They seemed to all be focused into two guilds, from what he could tell.

"Technically, they have four in Fairy Tail." Shisui shakes his head. Finding that to be…well, a bit lopsided to say the least. "Gajeel, Laxus, Natsu, and Wendy." He smiles fondly at the last one. "Wendy is the youngest though and she's not competing in the final match."

"I see." That was certainly quite the concentration of power in a single guild. "Are dragon slayers common?" If they were, then Fugaku could barely believe that this city was still standing.

Again, he could only shake his head. "They're extremely rare. The only ones that I personally know of are those in Fairy Tail, Rogue, and Sting." Though there were probably others. "It's likely that they aren't the only ones, but I doubt there are more than a dozed in the entire world."

No more than a dozen, and yet, at least half of them were here in this city. Fugaku couldn't see how that was a coincidence. "Then I expect that we will see quite the show."

"Well I doubt they expected the Games to be this grand when they organized them, but yes." That was an understatement. "I think we'll be lucky, if the city is still standing by the end of this."

That was a very likely danger, actually, because with all of the teams on the move, combatants were starting to meet up across the city. The six team rosters hang in the air, along with a point count. And the first battles begin to break out.

What Fugaku noticed first was that Itachi had come across two men who shared the emblem for Lamia Scale. An odd name for a guild, but he digressed. From the Roster, it would seem that their names were Yuka and Toby.

* * *

Itachi frowns. Yuka's abilities essentially nullified magic, but it seemed like a gamble to try Taijutsu against him while his friend with claws was on the field. He'd have to get creative. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." He summons several clones and then does another move. "Transformation Jutsu." Making himself look like Toby and all his Clones, before coming at the real Toby and Yuka.

His strategy was simple. Confuse them and get the clawed one to attack Yuka and have the guild mates take out each other.

Seeing duplicates of himself and Yuka coming towards them, Toby growls confusedly. "Like, what's going on here, man!?"

"I don't know, but…" Yuka holds out a hand towards the duplicates. "Whatever it is, it's not going to work." Already, an anti-magic barrier springs up in front of him, distorting the very energy in the air. If you had magic and threw your body into that, it wouldn't be pretty. And if you threw magic at it, it would dissipate. It was simple, but very effective.

Well Itachi had been hoping that they would take each other out. No such luck. "Oh well." He Flickers behind Yuka and knocks him out. "Too bad your barrier only protected your front."

As soon as Yuka hit the ground, Toby's claws were out and slashing at the newcomer. "Hey! What'd you do to make another me!?"

"Well that's called the Transformation Jutsu. It essentially allows you to copy the appearance of another person." He smiles at him. "It's something children are taught in my birth village." It would be rude not to at least answer the other man's question before going for a knock out. His Sharingan whirls at the man, the black tomoes spinning quickly. One of the advantages of this technique was that it allowed you to knock your opponent out, if you made eye contact. The Sharingan had a wonderful way of amplifying genjutsu.

Toby's claws may have been dangerous, but as soon as he looked into those spinning eyes, he fell into a trance, drool dripping from his mouth as he grins. He sways contentedly, before falling flat on his back in the dust.

"Well that was relatively easy." He smiles and continues on his way, rather pleased that he didn't have to kick a puppy.

* * *

Fugaku nods approvingly at the screen. "That was well-handled." There were no wasted moves, and the initial assault served well as a distraction, allowing Itachi to come from behind and take advantage of their confusion. The screens flash as Yuka and Toby are eliminated, granting Blue Pegasus two points for Itachi's swift victory.

Fugaku wasn't the only one making observations though. So was Mikoto. "Sasuke seems to have found two enemy ninjas." Well she didn't really understand this wizard nonsense. "From the Mermaid Heel Village. I still don't know why they're called that." They weren't actually mermaids!

It seemed as though his wife was still trying to become accustomed to the way that things worked here. "Mikoto, I believe that we are supposed to call them wizards. And they come from a guild, not a village." Ninjas and wizards, as much as they seemed alike, were obviously vastly different, both in culture, and in their physical abilities. "And I think that calling them the competition is more acceptable than calling them the enemy.

"I don't think calling them the competition is going to reduce the strength of their attacks." To her, that was a distinction without a difference. All that meant is that luckily, none of these fights would be to the death. At least she hoped not. "But alright, they're wizards...who call themselves mermaids, but have no tails." The names of these guilds made little sense to her. Well other than Blue Pegasus and perhaps, Sabertooth.

Fugaku shakes his head at his wife, watching as his youngest son's taijutsu skills take out the two girls with ease. Though, for some reason, the redhead nearly buried him in carrots in the process. "Summoning vegetables is…an odd skill to have." Though he supposed that if the girl was caught in the wilderness with no food, it wouldn't be a problem for her to produce some.

"Well I suppose we should be grateful that it was carrots and not kunais." Mikoto blinks as Kenji laughs at that. While Aiya quietly suggests they go out for carrot cake later, or maybe she could make them a nice stew.

But the screens catch the attention of the audience, the scores really beginning to move now as Fairy Tail starts their assault on the competition, Gajeel taking out Eve and Ren in short order, before going after Hibiki. It was fairly rough treatment to be giving friends, but it was a competition, and the kid gloves were coming off.

Watching as the dragon slayer's limbs turn to metal, Fugaku examines the power curiously. "Tell me, Shisui, can all dragon slayers transform their limbs in that way?"

"I honestly, have no idea." Shisui shakes his head. "It's a Dragon Slayer ability. It's similar to a bloodline in a way that it can't be replicated."

"I see." Well, he wasn't sure if that was reassuring or disturbing. At least these dragon slayers seemed to be 'good guys' in this world. "Will your friends be alright?" Frankly, it was hard for Fugaku not to wince when Hikibi got smacked into the air by an iron limb. That really looked like it hurt as Fairy Tail racked up three points for the victory.

Shisui nods as he winces. "They'll need to see a healer, but Fairy Tail isn't aiming to kill them." While he didn't like it and damn sure was going to give Gajeel a tongue lashing for that one, Shisui knew it wasn't fatal. Dragon Slayers truly had zero restraint, except for Wendy it seemed.

Then again, it seemed that very few of the top tier competitors had much in the way of restraint. Numbers flash for Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, and Blue Pegasus as one by one, Quatro Puppy is almost systematically taken out by Sting, Lyon and Jura, and their last member by a roving Itachi. Even a Mermaid loses her place as Minerva appears out of nowhere, claiming yet another point for Sabertooth. That meant that positions were changing every few minutes as the teams juggled points, and the weakest of the competition were weeded out.

The end of the 'first round' was marked by an eerie silence through the stadium as the battles came to a halt, the competitors cut down to half their original number. It was the quiet before the storm. Because only the strongest remained.

Not that Chapati allowed it to remain quiet. "Well, look at this here, folks! Blue Pegasus is still in the lead with fifty-three points! But look out, Fairy Tail is hot on their heels with fifty points, and Sabertooth is playing catch-up with forty-one points! Can Fairy Tail overtake Blue Pegasus!? Or will our returning champions, Sabertooth, make a come from behind win!? Keep your eyes glued to those lacrima, because the real battles are about to begin!"

And as though to prove him right, over a dozen powerful magical signatures flare across the city, the brightest patch occurring atop a terrace overlooking the city, where the three most powerful female wizards in the game have just collided.

* * *

The city was utter chaos. Left and right, miles apart from each other, vicious battles were taking place. In Crocus' Grand Library, Gray and Rufus' magic power could be found filling the building. To the south, the Wizard Saint had found himself a god slayer, and a dragon slayer. To the north, the roars of two dragon slayers could be heard, and next to one of the city's many canals, one would find an elemental wizard and yet another god slayer.

A chaotic dance, bringing together the best that every guild had to offer. And in the center of the city, three powerful magical signatures flare, over and over again, locked into a brutal dance of a Tiger, a Mermaid, and a Fairy. A dance culminating in a grand pillar of light that lit up the skies for all to see for over a hundred miles.

Sasuke's eyes widen in horror when he sees the giant beam of light, and feels the earth-shattering shockwave. From the direction of the light, he recognizes Erza's magic signature and that of two other powerful wizards. Ones that were familiar to him. Minerva's more so than the other one. Kagura, he believed was the third one's name.

There were battles going on throughout the city. Almost everywhere, he could feel magic flaring, But, nowhere was it burning as brightly, as from where those three signatures were coming from. "I shouldn't have left her alone." He races towards where he felt the magic coming from. "Not with that sadistic bitch." Not even sure if she was alive or not. It was such a vast distance, he couldn't even Flicker. He'd have to run. And quickly.

The scenery of the city passes by him. Shops, homes, gardens, marketplaces, all adorned with flowers beyond count. Flowers that shook with every shockwave that rocketed through the city as the heavyweight competitors did battle. And even with all of the noise of the various magical attacks shooting into the sky, the cheering from Domus Flau could be heard far and wide.

"What are those idiots cheering for?!" Someone could be dead! Someone was probably dead! "Damn it!" Maybe, even Erza! Though he would probably cheer if it was Minerva. That witch had it coming, after what she did to Lucy! With that thought in mind, he runs faster than he had ever run in his life. Hoping that it wasn't too late.

The shaking increases as he approaches the terrace, before everything in the area go absolutely still. Not even the birds chirped. No crickets, not cats of dogs roaming the streets. Nothing. The air itself seemed almost frozen in place. Then, a thundering crash breaks the silence, the deafening boom of falling debris echoing throughout the city.

It was quiet. Too quiet until the echos of the falling buildings were heard throughout the city. "Erza!" This couldn't be happening! She hadn't survived a dragon attack to die at the hands of that witch!

* * *

It had been a hard-fought battle, first taking on both Kagura and Minerva at once, then fighting Kagura alone. They'd reconciled their differences, and Erza had earned her team five points with Kagura's surrender.

Now, however, with her leg injured after being pinned under several blocks of stone, Erza stares, enraged, at the lone female wizard who remained standing before her. Minerva. The one who'd tortured Lucy only two days ago. And the one who had struck Kagura down, even after the woman had surrendered. To add insult to injury, she'd ejected a badly injured Millianna from a pocket dimension, having tortured her just for the sake of hearing her scream. She was the lowest of the low. "Coward." Her voice drips with venom. "First you take Millianna, and now you strike down an opponent who's given up?"

"I told you that I was going to make this a battle fit for a King." The Queen of the Tigers smirks at her fallen foe. "And a king will only eat rare delicacies. Such as a Mermaid's tail and a Fairy's feebly flapping wings!"

Requipping two swords, Erza growls, charging her opponent fearlessly, despite the injuries weighing down and slowing her body. For Millianna, Kagura, Lucy, her guild, this woman would be brought down! The reign of Sabertooth would end! Even if it took her life, Minerva would NOT hurt anyone ever again.

Sasuke had probably run a couple miles as swiftly as his body was capable of carrying him without Flickering. When he finally got there though, he saw a horrifying sight. The cat girl from Mermaid Heel was laying unconscious on the floor, her back brutally sliced up, and still freshly bleeding. Kagura lay not far from her, and she had obviously been stabbed and was now barely moving. That wasn't the worst of it though.

Even more unforgivable than that was the sight of Erza valiantly trying to stand and fight, despite her many injuries as that sadistic bitch was about to attack her. About to KILL her with what felt like another of those powerful spells. He felt something inside himself snap and his vision burned red as he acted on instinct. "Get the hell away from her!" He slams into Minerva from behind, shoving her against the wall, a Chidori held in the hand that had been shoved through her back and into her ribcage. Pinning her helplessly to the ruined wall with her back towards him.

"I want you to know two things." He whispers into her ear as he feels her heart beat in his fist. "The first is if you weren't such a sadist, I wouldn't have killed you." It was a strange sensation to literally hold her life in his hand. "The second is when I'm done with you, there won't be anything left of you to bury!"

Her eyes wide and terrified, Minerva tries to move, only to feel his firm grip on her heart. Blood splashed down her back, coating her clothes as she screams. "Release me!" She couldn't die! Not here! Not now! Not like this! He wouldn't dare kill another competitor in cold blood! They wouldn't allow it! They couldn't!

With that being said, he rips her heart out and feels one of his eyes begin to bleed. He watches as her body falls to the floor, utterly lifeless. "Amaterasu!" And he activates a jutsu that only a Mangekyo Sharingan User could. The one whose fire burned hotter than the flames of Hell itself and that Itachi had told him long ago and currently, it was the 'spell' that was causing black flames to erase Minerva's body from existence right before the audience's and Erza's very eyes.

Erza stares at the sight as Minerva's body crumbles to ash under the power of black flames, not entirely believing the sight before her eyes as she struggles back to her feet. But a distant bell rings, indicating Minerva's defeat, and the points being given to the victor. "…Sasuke?" There was something…different about him… "Are you alright?" His eyes were…the patterns in them were a different shape than before.

"Erza, you shouldn't try to stand!" He wasn't sure what the full extent of her injuries was, but he knew that they were bad. "Don't worry. I'm alright." Sasuke rushes over to her and wraps his unbloodied hand around her waist. "The medics should be here soon." There was no way she could continue the game like this. "Don't move. It's okay. I got you." And with that, he deactivates his Sharingan and banishes the black flames. Nothing was left of Minerva anymore, not even ash.

"Sasuke, I'll be fine…" Erza sighs, leaning against him slightly as she tested out her foot. Yeah, something was definitely twisted in there, or sprained, and maybe something broken too. It was bleeding. Well, most of her was bleeding, but that wasn't the point as she picked up her katana, pressing the tip into the ground to support herself. "I can walk by myself."

He watches her carefully. She was definitely not fine and he was highly skeptical she could really walk at least not far, but sasuke knew better than to say so. "Alright. Are you withdrawing?" She couldn't be expected to fight like that, but Erza might be crazy enough to do it.

"No." Erza takes several deep breaths and smiles. "I still have a few things left in reserve, just in case. First…I must rest, and then, I mus rejoin my team."

"Alright. I'll take you to them." There was no way he was letting her walk around like that with a couple of Tigers still wandering around!

Erza closes her eyes for a moment, willing away the pain. "Gray should be done with Rufus by now, and Laxus has likely finished with Orga, and is now fighting Jura. Gajeel should be with Rogue…" A huge elemental roar, courtesy of a very angry Iron Dragon Slayer rips through the sky, disappearing into the blue above them. "…It would seem that he has won." And that just left… "Juvia is fighting Chelia now. The only member of Sabertooth left is Sting."

"Good." He still wasn't letting her wander around alone like this though. "I guess if we bump into him on the way, I'll offer my not very sincere condolences about his teammate."

She grows very quiet at the rather snarky remark. "Why did you kill her?" It wasn't something that she'd expected from Sasuke. Not at all. He could be hot-headed, yes, impulsive, yes, but kill in cold blood? …No, she didn't think so.

"Because she was going to kill you." He normally wouldn't have. "For what she did to Lucy, to Kagura, and that woman from Mermaid Heel. She wasn't going to stop hurting people." She would have killed Erza, he knew that. If she didn't pull of a miracle upset, she would have been dead. But he got to Minerva first. Erza would live…she would live… "She's the first person that I killed, but it was self-defense. She aimed for my heart first." He kisses her forehead.

"I see." That was good. The less blood Sasuke had on his hands, the better. "Then I understand. And I cannot possibly judge you for it." Erza had far more blood on her hands than Sasuke knew. "Thank you."

He nods at her. "You're welcome. Let's go find the rest of our teams." Sasuke didn't want her to fight like this, but Erza was determined. At least this way, he could get her to her team safely and it seemed like most of the major threats were tied up.

Erza chuckles softly at his words. "Then I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you and your brother are the only remaining members of Blue Pegasus in this game. Gajeel found Hibiki and the others."

"I'm not happy to hear that, but it wasn't unexpected." Eve was strong, but he wasn't on the same level as some of the other competitors, the same went for Ren. As for Hibiki, he was more of a strategist than anything. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Yes." Erza hobbles along, using her sword mostly for support, but drawing some from Sasuke as well, since he insisted. "About your eyes…" She reaches up to wipe away some of the blood from beneath his left eye. "They changed." And she'd never seen him display THAT sort of power before.

"My Sharingan evolved into a Mangekyo Sharingan." He'd explain it to her later. "Doesn't matter now though." His eyes scan the field. They had to be around here somewhere.

"They will be a while longer." The sounds of a new battle emanate from down towards the canals. "The battles are not yet over." She looks ahead, towards a small park. "I am to meet my team there, when Laxus has beaten Jura, Gajeel returns from defeating Rogue, and Gray and Juvia join us after dealing with Lyon and Chelia." Everything was falling into place, despite the complications.

Itachi would likely join them soon. "I see." He mentally does the math. The odds weren't great. Two against what seemed to be all of Fairy Tail's members. And not your average line-up, either.


	21. Chapter 21

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Sorry about the long wait. Lots of stuff happened (mostly on my end) involving babysitting munchkins for two weeks, finishing up one collab, plot bunny hitting for another, then flying halfway across the country, and now I'm settled into my dorm at school. Busy, busy, busy. Anyway, this was a difficult couple of chapters to write (I split this one in two, since the chapter was getting massive) since we're dealing with a host of very powerful (over-powered) characters. It's hard to let some of them win and some of them lose, because these are characters that…I just want all of them to win. But, since that's not possible, we decided to knock most of them down. Sasuke and Itachi get to demonstrate their badassery, and Erza… Well, she has her Nakagami Armor. Enough said. But I hope you all like it! Because we can get into the serious power upgrades for Itachi and Sasuke in the next few chapters.

Chapter 21

Fugaku's blood runs cold as he watches the scene on the screen. He knew what that pattern in Sasuke's eyes meant. Fear, unimaginable fear had flooded through his son at seeing that woman, Minerva, nearly killing the Fairy Queen. But those eyes… "Sasuke…" For just a moment, they were full of nothing but fear and pain. And now, someone was dead as a result.

"Our poor baby." Mikoto whispers in horror. "He's just gotten a lot stronger, but at a terrible cost." Those eyes. No child should have those eyes. No one really should, but especially not a child who was barely of age. Especially not their Sasuke.

Bob listens to the parents worriedly. "Oh dear…what's happened to my little Sasuke?" This was a display of violence that he'd never seen from the boy before. "He looks so…different." In the way he moved, the way he looked at the world, at the woman he'd killed. It was as though everything changed in a split second.

Kenji sighs as he looks at Bob. "He's activated the Mangekyo Sharingan. It is one of our family's most powerful... spells as you would call it, but it can only be used after one suffers a great loss or at least believes they have." Seeing the red head like that, must have set him off. This had gone far beyond a crush.

"Oh my…" Bob frowns sadly at the sight of the boy on the screen, helping one of his competitors to walk. "At least Erza survived." Not that Bob doubted it, Fairy Tail had a knack for surviving just about anything. But Sasuke must have been terrified. "The boy's in love…"

"Yes, and may the gods and goddesses help whatever psychotic bitch attacks that woman next." Aiya shakes her head. "He's just like his grandfather." Kenji was perhaps the easiest going Uchiha save for possibly Shisui, but he could be scary when she was threatened.

And his father, though Fugaku wasn't going to say that out loud. He could be extremely scary when he wanted to. "At least Itachi has been spared the curse." At least, so far. But clearly, this world was more dangerous than its initially peaceful nature implied.

Akane sighs as she watches. "I can't believe it. I still remember Sasuke as the child with those adorable bubble eyes." And now, he was ripping some woman's heart out?

The audience is in silent shock at the sight of Minerva's disintegrated body. There was nothing left of her, and everyone was stunned by the ferocity that came, not from one of Sabertooth, but from a member of Blue Pegasus. Uncharacteristic was putting it mildly. They'd had a few minor deaths in the games, of course, but nothing even remotely like this. For this…well, there might very well be some rule changes in the future.

Even Chapati had to take a moment to tear himself out of his stupor. "Watch out, folks! It looks like Blue Pegasus is out for the blood of Tigers! By bringing down their queen, Sasuke Uchiha earns Blue Pegasus five points!" But there was no raucous cheering, just a kind of stunned applause as the points are added to the total.

* * *

Hobbling along towards the park, and trying not to use Sasuke for support, Erza ignores the pain in her throbbing left foot. She knew that she was seriously injured, but this battle was not over yet. There were still wizards to defeat. …Such as the one walking by her side, looking more worried than anything else. "Sasuke, I promise that I will be fine. There's no need to watch me as though you're afraid that I'll trip over a pebble and break something."

"I highly doubt that any pebble would be foolish enough to mess with you." His brother might be another matter though. "Humor me. You can consider it practice for when I win the bet later." That was bluster. Sasuke knew that the odds were tipped completely in Fairy Tail's favor at the moment, even after he found Itachi.

"You think so?" Erza laughs at the thought as she slowly approaches a bench to sit on. "Well, perhaps we should both try not to count chickens while we still have only eggs." After all, it was still anyone's game. Even if Fairy Tail had much more than just a title on the line if they were to try and win.

"Mhm." He watches as he sat down. If Itachi went after Erza, he didn't know how he'd react. Of course, Itachi wouldn't be aiming for a kill shot. "They'll sense our chakra soon enough." Still, she was badly injured and he might react on instinct. Fighting against him while fighting all of Fairy Tail just wouldn't be right.

Logically, he knew that he should just knock her out. He could do it without hurting Erza. She was in no condition to do battle, but she might also never forgive him. It wasn't an easy decision to make. So he waits. The time for action would come soon enough.

Erza looks up to the sky, a little surprised to see how low the sun now was in the sky. "We've been out here for hours." But it didn't feel nearly that long. Strange…

"Feels like an eternity." He really could have lost her. If he had been even a few minutes later. "You know, I love you." Sasuke looks at her warily. "That's the main reason why I killed her. Because she would have done it to you. And I'm still going to love you, even when I have to tear into your guild mates."

Erza's eyes widen a little as her cheeks warm. Then, she laughs. "Oh? And who says that it will be my teammates that you will end up fighting?" After all, she had a promise to keep, several, actually.

"Logic." He sighs wistfully. "There are only two members of my guild fighting and Itachi knows that I'm likely going to be useless against you. He'll probably have a go at you." It irritated Sasuke to know this and that his brother was only doing what he should, if he wanted to win. "We are competitors after all. it's nothing personal on his end of things." He didn't want Erza and Itachi to hold a grudge against each other after this competition.

"Useless?" Erza raises a single scarlet eyebrow, the blush on her cheeks gone. "Why do you think that?" She had seen him fight, so she couldn't see how his efforts would be useless. Maybe not effective, if he relied on elemental attacks, but hardly useless.

"Training is one thing, but this is different." Not when she was hurt like this, he couldn't do it. "I couldn't give you a proper fight because I don't want to hurt you." Anymore than Minerva already had.

"I see…" She nods slowly. "That is very courteous of you." But she would just see how long that courtesy would last when she personally turned up the heat on this competition. "But you needn't worry about me. I am not nearly as fragile as you seem to believe."

It wasn't about being fragile. "Erza, I've seen you fight and win against a hundred monsters by yourself." He knew that she was strong. "I know you're strong, but those injuries of yours are serious. That bitch and those rabid cats should have never been allowed to enter this competition in the first place. They enjoy it." He didn't feel like it was necessary to elaborate. "Sadists. The lot of them, except for possibly the Dragon Slayers, who are just quieter versions of Natsu."

Well, she had fought with far worse injuries on many occasions. "It is just my foot. I believe that I will still prove a match for whomever decides to challenge me." Besides, she expected that the rest of her team would be similarly injured. There was no chance that she would just sit back and let the others do the fighting for her. But for now…I suppose it's simply best to wait until Sting reveals himself." Then, the final battle would begin.

"I think...you might actually be the most stubborn woman that I've ever met." He shakes his head. "And that includes my mother."

"Why, thank you." Erza beams at the remark. "I do try to remain steadfast and loyal to my cause, my ideals, and to those I care about."

He shakes his head and places his hand on her shoulder and just over the top of her breast as he pulls her closer. "You're also the most adorable one." Sasuke couldn't help, but kiss her at that moment.

Erza smiles into the kiss, maneuvering herself carefully as she slides her arms around Sasuke's neck and sidles into his lap. "And you are among the most persistent men I've ever met." And that was saying something, when you looked at just who was in her guild.

"I hope persistent isn't your charitable way of saying annoying." He smirks at her as he wraps his arms around her and deepens the kiss.

* * *

Back in Domus Flau, Chapati's wide eyes accompany Yajima's hearty chuckle. "Ah…to be a young stallion again. The boy is certainly a brave one to be trying to catch Miss Erza."

Many pairs of Uchiha eyes were still fixed to the lacrima screens, and Izumi sighs wistfully. "My little cousin…all grown up and kissing girls in the middle of a battle…"

Aiya shakes her head and looks at Kenji. "He takes after you." The boy clearly needed to sort out his priorities. This was the middle of a battle and Izumi was just as bad!

Mikoto rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "Well I suppose that is one way to demonstrate good sportsmanship." Maybe, she would get red headed grandchildren? Oh that would be adorable!

Fugaku twitches. "I take it that this is not a usual occurrence during these contests." He glances at Shisui, only to be distracted by…wait, was that tongue? …Well, judging by how…vigorously this makeshift competition was being conducted, it would seem that his son's lover, or soon to be, didn't mind looking like she was about to be ravished in front of tens of thousands of spectators. Perhaps his wife would get her grandchildren soon, after all.

"I've never seen two people make out in the middle of the final battle before." Shisui chuckles as he shakes his head at his other cousin on the screens. "And you thought he was shy."

* * *

Sasuke was well as Shisui would say, in his happy place. Thoughts of the impending battle against the rest of Fairy Tail were far away in his mind. The only battle that existed at the moment was the battle between their tongues and in that fight, they were both winning no matter who ended up taking control of the kiss.

Right now, Erza was fairly certain that she was winning, her tongue currently dancing circles around Sasuke's. After all, she'd gotten Sasuke onto his back, and had, with some careful shimmying, straddled Sasuke's hips. It was nice, really, and he didn't even seem to mind that she was covered in blood. Not that she minded the blood soaking him, but… What was she thinking about again?

Sasuke groans into the kiss and was rather tempted to tear those bandages off. Only the distant gasps and other exclamations from the audience dimly registering in his mind, kept him from doing so. For now, he would just content himself with enjoying the feeling of her lips against his and Erza straddling his hips.

Her weight pressed into her knees, Erza places her hands on Sasuke's chest, breaking the kiss for a moment as she pulls away to look at him, leaning over him as she caught her breath. Disheveled would be putting it mildly, but she did rather like the rosy hue tinting his pale cheeks. "Hm…" She runs a single hand through his messy hair. "I rather like this look on you." Flushed and panting, and his eyes…VERY focused on her.

"I rather like the look of you too." And he really wanted to yank that 'top' off of her.

Well, well. Erza smiles slyly. "Then perhaps we might spend some time together after we've both recovered from the battle."

Battle? What battle? "Yeah. That sounds good to me." Oh right. This battle. It was kinda hard to think about the impending clusterfuck that was about to happen when well something else was...also decidedly hard. He was going to need a cold shower. Damn it. Where was that Ice Stripper, anyway?

Erza sighs, fingers dancing through raven locks and across a muscular chest as she glances up into the sky. The sun had set, it was starting to get dark. Which meant, that according to Mavis' calculations, Sting should be appearing right about…

BOOM! A giant white firework goes off overhead, shaped like the Sabertooth emblem. "Sting." And it was coming from the direction of a plaza not too far from here.

"Have I mentioned how much I really hate Sting recently?" Because, he really, really fucking hated him. "Alright. I guess that's our cue." Sasuke sighs as he gently nudges her off of him and gets up.

"Yes, it is." Erza takes up her sword once more, using it as a crutch, or a cane to edge towards the source of the flare without forcing too much weight onto her foot. "It seems that there has been a slight change of plans." The team would no longer be meeting at the park, but at Sting's location. That meant that the others had been slowed. They were injured.

He nods as he walks with her towards Sting. "Be careful." Blondie was alone and desperate. He wouldn't go easy on someone who was injured like Erza. That was for damn sure.

"You should be careful as well." Erza smiles at him as she spots her battered and bruised teammates approaching the plaza as well. "You say that you would be useless in a battle against me, but I do not believe that is true. After all, from one warrior to another, it would be disrespectful to go into battle and not give it your all."

"I always am and we'll see what happens." Sasuke's eyes were now focused on her teammates. It seemed unlikely Erza would take a shot at him for the moment, but the other members of Fairy Tail well that wasn't nearly as certain.

* * *

The Fairies were not the only ones approaching Sting's location. Knowing that the rest of the competition would gather at the sight of such a flare, Itachi follows suit, arriving just on the edge of the plaza to see the wounded Fairies approaching Sting, along with Sasuke. He eyes his brother warily, noting that both he and Titania looked a little disheveled. "Really?" He shakes his head, muttering under his breath as he waves to his brother, beckoning him over.

Sasuke shoots Erza an apologetic look before he cautiously makes his way over to Itachi. After all, any of the Fairies or Sting (aka the Cockblocker, forget about his stupid Dragon Slayer nickname) might take a shot at him.

"Sasuke…" Itachi shakes his head, before poking his little brother square in the forehead. "Now is not the time to be ravishing your Fairy Queen."

"I wasn't ravishing her." It was more like the other way around. "It was just kissing." And some straddling.

"Of course it was…" Itachi rolls his eyes, before directing them back onto the wounded Fairies, who had decided to face down Sting as a team. "Now, I believe that we will require a plan to deal with Fairy Tail, as I doubt that Sting stands much of a chance against them in their current state."

"We rush them while they attack Sting." They were probably going to gun for the Dragon Slayer first because Blue Pegasus was an allied guild.

"Yes, that seems prudent, however, I believe that you should leave Titania to me." Itachi couldn't see that battle going well. "The best course of action would be to split them up and deal with them one or two at a time, and perhaps leave the dragon slayers for last. Your Chidori will be ineffective against Laxus, therefore, you should take Gajeel. I will take the two S-Class wizards."

"Deal." Sasuke nods as he waits for the right moment to strike. "Besides, Iron Mouth will be fun to deal with."

All…did not go according to plan, however. And the battle that never even started…ended with Sting on his knees, surrendering to Fairy Tail. The dragon slayer's sentimentality had proven to be his downfall in the face of five wounded, but steadfast Fairies.

That…did not play into Itachi's plan. He had hoped to use the ensuing battle to unbalance the Fairy Tail team and draw them off individually. But without the fight with Sting…they were calm, focused, and still together. "…That was unexpected." He hadn't foreseen the dragon slayer's pride breaking so easily. They needed a new strategy. Or at least a new way to draw them all off.

"Well they outnumber us, but it doesn't have to stay that way." Sasuke had an idea. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." One punch and a clone was gone, but good luck with them when it came to finding the real one. "Hit them with a Genjutsu."

"Excellent strategy, Sasuke." His little brother was growing up, and Itachi couldn't be prouder. "I will be sure to knock your Fairy Queen out gently." At least…that was the plan as he turned his Sharingan on her.

Sasuke pretends not to hear that. Nothing would set Erza off faster than that. Itachi had just made things harder for him than they needed to be. "Fireball Jutsu: Phoenix Flower Style!" Beating them with raw power likely wasn't going to work. They just were going to have to fight smarter. Not harder and a few dozen fireballs with kunai hidden in them, well they could serve as useful diversionary tactics, even if they were far from knock out blows, if they landed.

Erza's eyes widen at the sight of two red eyes on her, and a strange sensation that she knows far too well washes over her. Her sight was quickly growing dim. "Do not look into their eyes! It's illusion magic!" She shuts her left eye in a hurry, brushing her bangs over it to reveal only her right, the artificial one, lessening the foggy feeling as she draws her sword.

While Gray and Juvia avert their eyes, Laxus and Gajeel close theirs completely, noses twitching. After all, a dragon slayer didn't need to rely on their sight.

Gajeel's nose twitches the most, an irritated glare appearing on his face, ruined only by the absence of a blood red gaze. "Oi Juvia! Ice Stripper, get on with it!" Like hell were they going to lose here!

"On it!" Gray's hands come together as a wall of water erupts around them, freezing the instant he touches his hands to it, blocking the flaming projectiles from coming any closer.

That was fast. "So you can actually do something besides stripping?" Sasuke had been beginning to wonder. "Amaterasu!" Suddenly one of his eyes begins to bleed and black flames erupt, launching themselves at the wall. "I would dodge, if you don't want to be burned to death." He just wanted to deal with that wall. He wasn't trying to actually hit them.

"Damn it!" Gray's eyes widen in panic as his ice wall melts before him. Grabbing Juvia by the back of her tattered dress, he drags her out of the way of the flames, racing back several meters and throwing up snowflake-like ice shields between them and the black fire. Whatever that was, it wasn't good.

Laxus raises an eyebrow at the sight of the melting wall in front of him, opening his eyes for just an instant as his teammates scatter to find better positions. "Well, this is new." He'd never seen black flames like that before. Heard about them from Natsu, sure, but never seen them. "But you don't strike me as being like that crazy god-slayer. I don't wanna deal with that." Holding out a hand, lightning sparks around Laxus' arm, blasting forward and shattering the thirty foot wall of ice into a thousand flaming pieces.

"That's accurate enough." Itachi Flickers behind Laxus and punches him in the back. That should force him to look at him. "The craziest thing my brother has ever done to date is getting tattoos and kissing the competition in the middle of battle." All he needed was eye contact and he could trap him in a Genjutsu. The Sharingan had a wonderful way of amplifying the power of Genjutsu.

"That so?" Laxus knew that voice, which meant that his nose went right back to work. "Good to know." And he whirls around, punching lightning straight into the place where Itachi's scent was coming from. "Next time, don't attack someone from behind!"

The Itachi that he punched, explodes. A clone. "I figured that you'd have some ability attached to your nose." These Dragon Slayers were such annoying creatures. At least the Tailed Beasts made sense in a way. "Let's try that again." He hurls a fireball at him from the front, having Flickered in front of him. The clone had been designed to attract his attention and disperse scent.

Laxus' nose twitches again, and he whirls around to punch straight into the fireball, blasting it apart with a burst of lightning. The smell of smoke fills the air, irritating Laxus' nose and throat. "Ugh…smells like Natsu in here…"

Could they never be serious about anything? "It's about to get worse, I'm afraid." He hurls pepper bombs at the man. Itachi knew that he'd be facing dragon slayers in the arena and thus, he'd come prepared to deal with those annoying noses of theirs.

As the first bomb explodes, nothing seems to happen. Laxus' nose twitches, and he frowns. "What are you playing at this time?" He'd heard something hit the ground, but…

Oh…fuck.

As the hot, painfully spicy scent hits his nose, Laxus pinches it, trying to ward away the pepper. "You've gotta be kidding!" That was so…immature! That's something that Gray would do to Natsu when they were kids to knock Pinky out when the pre-teen dragon slayer REALLY crossed the line.

Fuck, and the Pegasus was so quiet that… Laxus cracks an eye open, peering through the cloud of hot and spicy smoke, his second eye being forced open to help as sparks shoot through the air, protecting him as his eyes start to water. Best to get out of here, and fast. But first, he had to avoid those… …Eyes.

Itachi follows him. Finally. Eye contact. "Go to sleep." One of the application of a Sharingan's genjutsu was that it could paralyze, or render a victim unconscious, temporarily. Though that's really all he needed.

Laxus feels a haze come over him, likely the same thing that Erza had tried to warn them about earlier. Damn it. "You're…pretty tough, huh?" He'd spent too much time, magic, and stamina fighting Jura. He was already struggling to stand. His legs were going numb.

"And you're pretty stubborn." Itachi shakes his head. "Forgive me, but it seems that you're skull is unusually thick." He adds more chakra into his Genjutsu. "Go to sleep. You'll likely have an awful headache tomorrow."

"Yeah…no…joke…" And honestly, it was alright. He'd done what he could, and he REALLY wanted to get away from this damn pepper. "Get'em Iron Mouth." And despite his best efforts to stay standing, Laxus falls, his fur-lined coat falling over top of him.

Well that was one down. If Laxus was any indication this wouldn't be easy. Fortunately, Sasuke's lightning was strong against Gray's ice and Juvia was so devoted to Gray that taking him out meant that the water mistress would as well.

"Gihi…" A sinister laugh echoes from the shadows around him as they writhe in waves on the ground, the image of sharp teeth fleetingly visible. Followed by the sudden appearance of a dozen giant black iron rods.


	22. Chapter 22

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Alright, so, in this chapter, canon…fuck most of canon, Laxus isn't the only one who ends up on the ground. But anyway, here come the bulk of the boss fights, which were extremely frustrating to write. And be proud of the Uchiha boys, because they're fighting some of Fairy Tail's finest. Now, please enjoy, because Sasuke's power starts growing rapidly, and after this chapter, he's just going to get stronger. We'll give you all a serving of dragons soon enough.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. This was by far the hardest chapter I ever had to write. It wouldn't have been possible without having a coauthor. (Well at least for me anyway, lol). I hope you all enjoy it and sad to say, but someone had to lose. So yeah. On the bright side though, we do have some powerups for you.

Chapter 22

"Ice-Make: Lance!" Gray was shooting off spears of ice as he and Juvia ran, trying to stay ahead of the lightning-cloaked Pegasus. Similarly, Juvia was throwing discs of water at Sasuke, trying to blast him away from the two of them.

The water discs were actually perfect for what he had in mind, Sasuke thinks to himself as he continues to dodge the attacks. "Chidori Senbon!" He conjures thousands of tiny chidoris shaped like needles. The biggest advantage of changing the shape of the Chidori into this was speed. They were small and fast. They were also still lightning and he knew very well what happened when lightning combined with water (or melted ice that became water)!

Meeting in mid-air, the lightning needles and the flying discs of water collide, producing a shower of electrified rain, and hail as the ice spears shattered. And next, a giant ice hammer came crashing down from the sky as the electrified water swirls uncontrollably across the ground.

"If you yield, I'll stop!" Though for now, he sends more needles into the air towards them. "Hold on Itachi!" He'd be there soon. Sasuke had no idea what that Dragon Slayer was planning to do!

"No way!" The air grows cold with Gray's power, an unhappy grimace on his face. Shards of ice fly through the air, meeting the needles halfway.

"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire!" He'd had enough of this. Sasuke forms a giant fireball that takes the shape of a dragon head and directs it at the pair of Fairies. He could at least take out Juvia with this. The force of the fire should prove overwhelming even for someone so skilled at water magic.

Juvia opened her mouth to scream, but Gray was faster, his ice magic erupting quickly, taking the brunt of the fiery blast, before shattering in an explosive inferno. Juvia's cry for Gray echoes through the evening air, and when the fire begins to die, the water wizard lies on the ground, lightly burned, but spared most of the possible injuries, thanks to her water body, and the diffusion of the explosion.

Gray, however, still stands, arms crossed in front of him, ice magic still pouring from his pores. He didn't have very much left in him, he'd burned through most of his magic during his fight with Rufus, and only managed to absorb so much after his and Juvia's fight with Lyon and Chelia. That did not mean, however, that he was going to give up now. "You know, the plan may be wrecked, but at least we've still got a couple of trump cards for taking you two down." The air around his hands glows, shining brightly as he produces a long sword made entirely of ice.

"I hope your trump card isn't a sword." He forms the Chidori Sharp Spear, using it as a makeshift sword. "Because you aren't the only one who knows that trick."

"Nope…" Gray grins tiredly. "Not this one, anyway." He raises the sword, pointing it directly at his opponent. "I'm just here buying time for Erza. She needs to treat her wounds."

"How kind of you, but you should be more worried about yourself." He extends the sword five meters at Gray, hoping to hit his shoulder and to pin him to something.

Tired or not, Gray wasn't just going to roll over and take that hit. No, he steps back, letting the lightning blade glance off the edge of his ice sword, chipping it. Then, he takes a step forward, before breaking into a run. If he could, he would freeze Sasuke just like he did Rufus. "Don't underestimate me!" He slashes the sword between the two of them, stepping forward into the cut.

Sasuke matches Gray blow for blow. The guy was good with a sword, he'd give him that. Though he was more banged up than Sasuke. Eventually, that'd probably tilt the scales in his favor. Though he still had Erza lurking around somewhere to contend with and Itachi still needed his help! He couldn't wait that long. So he slams more force into his thrusts.

The ice blade chips and cracks with every exchange, Gray resolutely doing his best to push Sasuke back. He was exhausted, to be honest, and he could really go for a few glasses of alcohol, and then a very long nap. Nut…judging by the pained yelps and ground-shaking impacts coming form Gajeel's location, Gray was pretty sure that no matter what happened to him, this was going to be over soon. So, he locks the lightning and ice blades together, feeling the stinging pain of the lightning being transmitted through the ice. "Erza…said that you promised to help her test out one of her armors, right? The Nakagami?"

How the fuck did the Ice Stripper know about that?! "She told you that?" What else did she tell Gray?! Never mind. He was going to take out the ice wizard and help his brother. "You can explain later!" He slams his sword at him faster and faster, if Erza was going to be dawning an armor soon, he had to be ready.

Gray smirks painfully as the ice sword is smacked out of his hands. Whatever is left of it, anyway. "You really…shouldn't have agreed to that." His body was going numb from the voltage. It was like being hit by Laxus. "Nakagami…is one of her strongest…battle armors." He'd gotten the download only a few hours ago, before this battle royale started. And he could go down, knowing that he'd bought Erza all the time she needed.

"I guess we're about to find out how accurate that statement is." He didn't want Erza fighting when she was injured, but she was going to do it anyway. "This isn't your battle anymore. I don't want this to be to the death. You're not Minerva."

Gray lets out a single wry laugh. "Yeah, not like that Saber bitch…" Then he stumbles, crumpling to the ground, his magic and stamina both finally exhausted.

He winces, but Gray would be alright in the end. "Alright, Erza." Sasuke knew that she was nearby. Gray had been entirely too cocky about her new armor. "You ready?"

"I am." Her wounds all bandaged, and the bleeding stopped, Erza looks down at Sasuke, grimacing slightly at the sight of her defeated teammates. "…They did their best, it is all we could ask of them." And she would make sure that their efforts were not in vain. "It is time…to show me just how much you've grown, Sasuke."

There were a lot more fun ways he would have preferred demonstrating that. "Alright. Show me what you've got." He doubted the only thing that armor was going to do was flash cleavage.

Erza sighs, smiling a little, though only for a moment. "Very well. Fight hard." Magic power erupts around her, putting cracks into the roof of the building beneath her. It was time for her to release her Second Origin. Her hair flies into the air as her body glows brightly, and she races down from the roof, landing deftly on the cobblestones before him, clad head to toe in a revealing white, teal, and red cloth armor, further shielded by molded plates of enchanted gold. This was one of her strongest armors, and it was finally coming out for a test run.

Why did she have to be so stubborn? "I will." Never mind. Erza wasn't the only one who could be stubborn and she was no longer the only combatant on the field who could use Requip Magic. "Lighting Blade!" Sasuke summons a sword that he had nicknamed the Lighting Blade because, as far as he could tell, it was virtually indestructible. It had even survived his lightning strikes.

"I see, so you've mastered how to requip." Erza smiles at the sight of the shining blade. "Then shall we put your blade to the test?" She raises her halberd to the sky, the ribbon wrapped around her fluttering as she moved. "I have been looking forward to this for some time."

"Yes, we shall." He didn't understand the ribbon thing for the life of him, but Sasuke understood a challenge to battle when he saw one. "Just remember our bet." And with that, he lunges at her...swift as the lightning his blade was named after.

Oh, she would certainly remember their bet, particularly as she twirls the halberd, switching hands to control it from the left, bringing it up to meet Sasuke's blade halfway. The clash of blades rings loudly through the plaza, and the shockwave produced by the connection surprises even Erza a little. "Impressive." Thus, she forces the blunt end of her halberd forward, aiming precisely for Sasuke's hip.

Sasuke manages to dodge as he thrusts his sword more to block hers. "Thank you." He couldn't requip armor, but he had never needed it. Still, the magic was rather useful.

Now, it was time to see just what the man was made of. Erza presses forward, using the strength she'd built up over many years of wielding weapons that were as tall as she was. She forces him back, pressing her uninjured foot into the ground, her left providing balance as her right provided the strength.

He slammed into her with the full force of his weight and strength. This would be much easier, if he could knock her on that adorable ass of hers and maybe, she'd actually be smart and stay down. It wasn't likely because this was Erza, but Sasuke could dream.

But, turning his power against him, Erza steps to the side, driving the end of her halberd into the dirt. Using the weapon as leverage, she lifts herself from the ground and drives her good leg into his back, letting the momentum carry him away.

"Damn it!" Sasuke goes flying back and lands on the ground. "You're sneaky, but that's not going to be enough." If he could survive Bob's 'Glomps of Love' as a child, he could survive her kicks.

"You must learn to expect the unexpected." This time, it is Erza that makes the first move, springing at him, brandishing her halberd with the practiced ease of a master swordswoman. Of course, even as she thrusts the halberd at his abdomen, she retains perfect control, able to pull back at any moment to avoid striking a fatal blow.

"So should you!" He smirks at her as he activates his Chidori Current. Radiating the lightning along his body as he dodges the attack.

As the lightning arcs in all directions, Erza halts her assault for a moment, driving her right foot to the ground, and pivoting, twirling her halberd in a circle as all of the lightning around them vanishes. "An admirable attempt." But her blade could cut through magic, the elements, even through space itself. The fundamental laws of magic could be bent to her will. "But fruitless."

His eyes narrow. "I wouldn't get so cocky." Alright. So elemental attacks wouldn't work on that armor. He'd just have to do it the old fashioned way. With that thought in mind, he charges at her, swinging his sword almost faster than the eye could see.

Erza dodges the flurry of strikes, save for one that merely clips a lock of her hair. "You're quite fast, that's good." Well, until she twirls her halberd up, catching his sword with the flat of her blade and forcing it above his head, and by default, above hers.

"So are you." Well a ninja must expect the unexpected. So he brings his foot up and kicks her just below her rib cage. "But that's not enough." After all, one didn't hit a man below the belt, but one also didn't hit a woman in her stomach.

The kick winds her, but Erza merely slides back a few feet, digging her armored boots into the ground, even as her left foot twinges at the pressure. "Nicely done." But this battle was far from over, and Erza had a bet to win, the games to finish, and a guild mate to save.

* * *

Further down the battlefield, it was attacks from the shadows, poles of dark, solid iron erupting from nowhere, all aimed straight for the nimble little Pegasus. He wasn't gonna kill the guy, he wasn't gonna hold back like Salamander. After all, with the old man's grandson out, there was no room for taking chances. It was a hell of a good thing that he'd sucked this power outta Rogue, otherwise those eyes and those pepper bombs would have been a big problem.

Itachi deftly dodges them. "You might be a dragon slayer, but you remind me of an elephant in some ways." Large and more than willing to throw his weight around. Usually the stampede (brute force) technique was all he would need, but Itachi had two very important advantages. He was more agile, and his style of magic was different than what Gajeel was used to.

That and clones were helpful. They would distract that nose of his. The pepper bombs weren't working on this one as well as they had the other, likely because he was intangible, melted halfway and sometimes fully into the shadows. It seemed that doing so helped to protect his senses from Itachi's attacks. Itachi just needed one opening. Just one look and he could take down this Dragon Slayer with a genjutsu. It was making him look directly in Itachi's eyes that was going to be the hard part, because he needed to drag Gajeel out of the shadows first.

Which was going to be a lot easier said than done as Gajeel pops out of the shadows, his body coated head to toe in iron, and cloaked in shadows, something like glowing metal contacts obscuring his eyes. And in a flash, perhaps a flash of darkness, he smirks, driving a heavy punch straight into Itachi's stomach. "Dragons are a whole lot bigger than elephants."

Itachi goes flying from the force of the punch as he struggles to get up, the Uchiha had only three thoughts on his mind as he grits through the pain. He wonders if the 'Dragon' had broken or ruptured anything, if Sasuke was okay, and...dragon slayers were the most arrogant, annoying species on the planet. Though he supposed technically, they were still human. But at times, they differed enough in terms of personality and abilities, that he was more than willing to give them their own classification.

Sasuke's eyes widen in horror as he sees his brother get hit by Iron Mouth. "Well you know what they say." And something inside him snapped. " The bigger they are, the harder they fall." He feels his eye bleed as he forms a ghostly ribcage made out of his chakra. It was a Susanoo, a partial one anyway. He'd only just unlocked his Mangekyo, and it was not a power that revealed all of its secrets instantly.

He'd only heard about it from Itachi and Shisui before. He'd never actually seen one, but Sasuke was too engaged to do more than note his newfound ability in the back of his head. He feels one of his eyes bleed as he wraps the black flames of the Amaterasu around his 'ribcage armor' so to speak and slams into the Dragon Slayer at full speed.

Gajeel grunts, taking the brunt of the attack with long iron poles for arms. "Jeez, annoying little brat!" He raises one of said arms up, grimacing at the feeling of the blazing fire that was slowly trying to break through his iron armor. Just what the hell was that stuff, anyway? Oh well, when in doubt, smack it until it stops. "Quit interferin'!" He slams his iron pole arm down on top of Sasuke's defense, cracking the ghostly purple…thing.

"This is a team match, idiot." That only further served to enrage Sasuke further. "Not a one on one." He could feel the blood dripping down his cheek as he adds more flames and further reinforces the rib cage, adding more chakra to it and trying to make it more complete. He did manage to add a head, but it was far from complete.

Itachi watches in shock as Sasuke manifests an increasingly more formed Susano'o. It was rudimentary to be sure, but it seemed to largely be serving its purpose. He gingerly touches his stomach as he tries to get up. Did he have internal organ damage? He wasn't sure.

"Sasuke, be careful!" Gajeel was still in that strange form and Sasuke was using brand new abilities that he had no experience with. He had to get up and get up now, injuries be damned. So he slowly rises to his feet and trains his eyes on Gajeel. He just needed an opening for his genjutsu.

That wasn't going to happen, though, as Erza places herself between Itachi and the other fight. "It seems that Sasuke has chosen to switch partners with you." After all, if their fight was going nowhere, then it stood to reason that Sasuke would choose another opponent, one whom his abilities would be more effective against. "A wise decision, on Sasuke's part."

"Not particularly." Itachi chances another glance at his brother. "He put himself in harm's way to assist me, but he's always been adorably foolish." The elder Uchiha Brother eyes her warily. "Though it seems I will be dancing with you instead of Gajeel for the rest of this competition. I must say that is an improvement. You have far better breath."

His Sharingan illusions wouldn't work on her and elemental attacks were ineffective. Well they wouldn't work as long as her eye was open. "I do apologize in advance as this may make for some awkward family dinners in the future." He summons his crows and has them rush at her while hurling a pepper bomb at her. If he could get her to shut her eyes, he might have a chance.

Well, on the bright side, it seemed as though they had the approval of Sasuke's older brother. On the other hand, Erza was not particularly pleased about being assaulted with a bomb that stung her nose and throat. Only when it came to resisting Evergreen's petrification and Midnight's illusion magic, had she been so thankful for having a false eye.

She coughs as she twirls her halberd through the air, dealing with the crowd as they swarm her. "Excellent diversionary tactic." However, she could still sense Itachi moving about behind the swarm of crows. Obviously looking for some kind of opening.

Her magical eye hadn't shut. "Sharingan is still useless." He'd just have to rely on less savory tactics. This was more Sasuke's style than his, but it could work. He rushes at her, launching a flurry of kicks and punches.

Erza catches the first strike on an armored gauntlet, letting it slide down towards the thick plate ringing her forearm. Several more of the strikes simply glance off her armor, or miss altogether as she dances through the onslaught. Then, taking hold of her halberd with both hands, she brings it back, swinging in reverse as she twists her body, slamming the shaft directly into the side of Itachi's ribcage.

Itachi screams as he feels something break. Likely a rib. "Damn it!" He struggles to rise to his feet. He'd fought with worse before, but the Iron Dragon Slayer had already hit that spot only moments before. It was not an easy blow to take.

"Will you yield!?" Erza didn't like hearing one of her allies in such pain, but it was unfortunately necessary. Twirling it around again, she directs the blade at his throat.

"No." It was foolish, but he couldn't allow Sasuke to continue fighting against Gajeel and Erza alone. "Not quite." So he breathes a fireball at her. Her armor was very comprehensive, but her face was exposed. She'd have to jump back to avoid the flames. Well at least that was his reasoning.

Instead, Erza swipes her halberd right through the flames, dispersing them as the fire swirls away. "I see. So be it, then." She had one more trick up her sleeve, and if pushed, she would use it.

* * *

"When did you become such a scaredy cat?" Taunting should draw the bastard out. "Lurking in the shadows. Too afraid to throw a hit or take a punch."

"You're really askin' for a poundin', ain'tcha?" The shadows waver a little, and from them emerges the metal-skinned dragon slayer, cloaked head to toe in wispy shadows. "Brat."

More like the reverse. "That's better." Sasuke sends a Chidori Sharp Spear at the dragon slayer.

The shadowy dragon slayer dodges the lightning, letting it just barely clip his shoulder and glance off, leaving an unpleasant tingle behind. "Well, you've got guts, kid, I'll give you that." Then, he returns the favor by turning his arm into a giant, vibrating spiked sword that spun like the teeth of a chainsaw. "Let's see just how much."

Sasuke barely resists the impulse to ask what the fuck that monstrosity was. "Thanks. I'll try not to spill yours on the ground." His guts that was. Sasuke redirects his Spear back at the dragon slayer. He was going to take him out and then help Itachi. One way or another.

Gajeel bashes the lightning blade to the side with his chainsaw of an Iron Dragon Sword, not at all appreciating being treated like a lightning rod. Been there, done that, and he didn't really want to re-enact it. Course, he wasn't gonna kill the kid. Nah, he knew to smack him with the flat of the blade. Still, it was funny to see the panic in the Pegasus' eyes when he swiped the sword across his field of vision, his arm humming with the speed of the turning metal teeth.

Sasuke's Susano'o manages to do it's job and protects him. "I've had enough of this." What he was about to do was reckless, but he was going to attempt it anyway. He 'sculpts' an arm for his new attack and thrusts it at the other Dragon Slayer as if it were punching him. He needed a knock out and he needed it fast. Itachi was barely on his feet as it was!

Gajeel takes the brunt of the blow, flying head over heels, before plunging his iron sword of an arm into the cobblestones of the plaza, ripping the ground apart as he slows himself down. "Gonna have to do better than that!" The most obvious damage was his metal skin cracking from the force of the impact. But apart from his skin, the dragon slayer seemed no worse for wear. Well, apart from the injuries sustained earlier in his battle with Rogue.

Thrusting his free hand forward, Gajeel's other arm takes the form of a sharpened spear, aiming it directly at Sasuke. "Hope you know how to dance, kid." He launches a barrage of sharp arrow-shaped spear heads from the end of his arm, reloading as quickly as he discharged.

"Don't have to." His Susano'o would block those. "Amaterasu!" He unleashes another series of black flashes at the Dragon Slayer. He didn't seem to care for those too much.

Cursing loudly, Gajeel waves the iron appendages playing host to the black flames. "Damn it! What the fucking hell is this shit!?" They were as hot as Salamander's! And they just didn't wanna leave!

"Amaterasu. The flames are said to burn hotter than the flames of Hell itself." Sasuke smirks as he watches Gajeel. "They also can't be extinguished for seven days time, unless the caster decides to put them out." That should de-claw the dragon.

"Well, fuck that shit!" Gajeel's arms grow into iron poles, and he drives them and the flames into the ground, leaving a rather large amount of iron behind as he detaches himself and leaves two twenty foot poles sticking up from the stones. The black flames continued to burn their way up the poles, and…that was WAY too close. But he'd probably have burns for weeks, thanks to that stunt.

"You're really annoying." Sasuke's eyes narrow as he aims his spear at the Dragon Slayer again and directs more flames towards him.

Gajeel puts up a wall of iron poles between him and that fire, having learned his lesson the first time regarding NOT touching that. Yeah, not fun. But that didn't mean that he couldn't make his own fun. Racing out from behind his barricade, Gajeel glares at the sight of the purple-clad wizard, gathering power in his mouth as he pours everything he'd got into this next attack. "Iron Shadow Dragon ROAR!" And from his mouth erupts a giant beam of yellow and black light, tearing a path straight towards Sasuke.

Sasuke gets hit by an overwhelming force of chakra. It knocks him down with enough force that he couldn't rise to his feet again even with the Susano'o, but speaking of his Susano'o, he smirks as he has the spectral arm throw another punch. those poles were not going to stop his Susano'o or his Amaterasu. He might not be able to move, but he was going to take this damn dragon slayer down.

It was the punch that smashed into Gajeel as the Iron Dragon Slayer wobbled around, his metal skin gone, along with the magic power he'd needed to retain it. And… "Son of a bitch…" That hurt, dammit. Gajeel goes flying through the air, smashing into a building fifty feet away, and bringing the stones down on top of him. And moments later, there was no sign that he was getting back up.

Everything was spinning even though he was laying on the ground, but Sasuke loses consciousness with a smirk on his face. At least, he had knocked the Dragon Slayer out first. His only regret was that he couldn't help Itachi.

* * *

Erza's eyes flick to Sasuke for a moment, worried that he and Gajeel might have overdone it. Well, there was no question that they'd overdone it, Gajeel's attack had flattened several buildings. Buildings that would later be repaired through magic, of course. But still, the two of them could have KILLED each other! "Reckless fools…" Though she had a problem of her own to deal with, namely, the last opponent that remained before her. A quietly panting, bleeding, stubbornly standing opponent who clearly needed a doctor even more than she did.

His eyes widen when he sees Sasuke was not getting back up. It was potentially a choice between Sasuke and the games. "I yield. You win." Fairy Tail could have their victory. Itachi was not going to be an only child he thinks to himself as he runs over to the unconscious Uchiha and checks for a pulse.

Limping slightly, Erza follows closely behind, the sounds of fireworks already starting to go off in the sky to celebrate Fairy Tail's victory. She could see Laxus, Gray, and Juvia stirring, and she was sure that Gajeel would be fine. Their dragon slayers had a habit of being impossible to kill, after all. But Sasuke…he'd taken that blow rather hard, even if she could clearly see the tiny movements of his chest expanding. "He's alive." That was good. "…What matters is that he is alive." Wounds could heal, given time. "And that now…we have a chance to appeal to the king."

"..." Itachi would have let out a stream of profanities, if he had the energy. "What do you need to discuss with the king that is so important?" That it still registered on her mind when Sasuke was laying there presumably more dead than not?!

Never mind. It didn't matter. "I NEED A MEDIC!" Badly. His brother was still breathing and that was nothing short of a miracle, but for how long?

"Porlyusica is coming." It was part of the plan, after all. Erza sits by Sasuke's side, her armor disappearing as she reaches for his hand. "Sasuke is strong, he'll make it through this." Of that, she was sure. "But he is not the only one in danger. There are many lives that now hang in the balance."

"If he's lucky." If he wasn't lucky, he'd kill the Iron Dragon Slayer himself. "They will need more than just her. Fairy Tail was badly injured, but there are other guilds to consider as well." The only movement from Sasuke was the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

Erza nods. "The royal healers will likely be joining us shortly, and I would not be surprised if Chelia has recovered enough to join in the healing as well." Healing was simply a lost art in their world, and only a select few could using healing magic of any kind. The rest were simple skilled doctors.

"Good." His eyes scan anxiously, waiting for one of the healers to arrive.

First on the scene is a familiar face. "Calm down, boy." An elderly woman with long pink hair tied up in a bun approaches the three of them, a frown etched onto her face. "Worrying isn't going to help."

Itachi wasn't particularly thrilled about being called boy. Though her point was valid. "I leave him in your capable hands then." Itachi moves a few feet away from his brother to give the woman room to treat him.

Kneeling next to Sasuke, Porlyusica's eyes trail over him, taking in his condition. "Well, he's a reckless fool." She touches his face, tilting it this way and that, before listening to the rhythm of his breath, and the rate of his pulse. "Honestly…worried over nothing. He's simply used too much magic, and exhausted himself fighting three difficult opponents too quickly." And then there was that purple skeletal form… "And that new magic of his likely didn't help either. Rest is what he needs. And lots of it." Still, she takes a vial of blue liquid from within her robes, opening his mouth and tilting his chin back, before carefully pouring the mixture down his throat. "This should help speed the healing."

Erza nods gratefully. "Thank you, Miss Porlyusica." She knew that Sasuke was stronger than that. It would take far more than just a few difficult battles to kill someone so…stubborn.

"Oh thank goodness." Itachi sighs in relief at hearing his brother would be alright.

"You, on the other hand." The old healer pokes Itachi in the ribs. "Are going to require help from Wendy or Chelia."

Itachi had anticipated that. "Yes, of course." He sighs as he looks over at Erza. "Watch over him, if you can. I know you have injuries of your own that need tending."

"I will be fine." Erza's injuries, while serious, paled in comparison to Itachi's. "Though I am sorry for breaking your ribs."

"I'm not particularly pleased about that, but it is the nature of the competition." He was feeling far less forgiving towards a certain Dragon Slayer though. "I shall see you later then." Itachi strides towards the medics that were making their way onto the field. Only the fact he was wincing and clutching his broken ribs truly gave away his condition.

Erza nods, stretching out her damaged foot as she remains by Sasuke's side. Her injuries could wait a while, at least until all of her teammates had been looked at. For now, she was content to stay by Sasuke's side until he awoke. After all… She smiles softly. "We still have the terms of a bet to settle." And it was something that she was looking forward to greatly.


	23. Chapter 23

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Alright, since it seems like we've got some lawyers on our hands, I should probably remind everyone of a few things. First: Minerva nearly kills three people (and a cat) during the games, and no one nails her for it. Second: the Magic Council never nailed Jiemma for forcing his teenage wizards to fight to the death (though that should clearly be illegal). And third: Who is dumb enough to go down onto the field in the hour after Minerva is killed to go and arrest Sasuke while there are still full-scale battles going on? I mean, I'm not a big fan of Lahar, but still…he's not THAT brain-dead. That said, we may (and that is a very tentative may) consider some sort of realistic consequence that WON'T plunge the kingdom into a civil war right after they get attacked by dragons.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Like Celestia said we may have the Council try something for the sake of at least looking like they're following the law and because we do take reviews into consideration. Though good luck trying to capture Sasuke or detail him when you have the Uchihas, Blue Pegasus, and Fairy Tail protesting his arrest or detainment. Anyway, happy reading. There is a lot of silly family time in this one chapter to look forward to!

Chapter 24

"Sasuke? Sasuke…wake up." A gentle hand pats Sasuke's cheek as warm magic washes over the still form on the ground. "I know that it hurts, but it's best that you wake now."

He felt someone touching him and they were talking, but he was drifting. Drifting in a sea of blackness on the edge of being conscious and not. The voice was so familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Sasuke?" The hand pauses a moment. "Chelia, how is he doing?"

A smaller pair of hands touch him, moving along his chest and stomach. "He's still pretty banged up, but it could have been a lot worse. There's nothing broken now, and I've stopped all the bleeding, but I can't restore stamina like Wendy can, so it might take him a few more minutes to come around."

A sigh of relief blows over his face. "Good. Thank you Chelia. And Itachi?"

"He's gonna pull through, don't worry. You guys bashed him up pretty good, though. He's gonna have bruises for weeks, but other than that, he'll be okay." The smaller hands withdraw, as does the magical healing. "I'm gonna go and make sure that Jura's okay."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Chelia." The larger hand reaches for Sasuke's squeezing it gently. "Sasuke…? Can you hear me? It's Erza."

A name. Erza. It was Erza. What did she want though? He was trying to sleep and Sasuke knew that if he opened his eyes, it was going to be painful. She really was lucky that he loved her. "Mmm?" He probably wouldn't have bothered to open his eyes for a good long while, if anyone else had asked him that who wasn't an Uchiha or from Pegasus.

Above him, and bandaged head to toe, well, at least her torso and her legs, was Erza. She smiles just as gently at him, brushing his bangs aside as dark eyes open. "Welcome back."

"Are you alright?" What about Itachi? "Where's my brother? What about the other contestants?" He had enough presence of a mind to ask about that. Sasuke was on autopilot at the moment though. He doubted he could have strung many more coherent thoughts together.

Erza presses on Sasuke's shoulders, holding him down, just in case. "Itachi is fine. He had some serious internal damage and some broken ribs, but it's been treated for the most part. Everyone is being looked at right now. Gajeel is being stubborn about things, but he was up and walking about half an hour ago." Bandaged up like a mummy, yes, but still, walking was better than not. "Laxus was up first, Itachi released the genjutsu that put him to sleep. Your other teammates were knocked out early by Gajeel, so they're here and no worse for wear. And Milianna and Kagura are going to be alright as well."

Well that was a relief. Though there was still one problem. "I"m glad that everyone is going to be okay." Sasuke pauses as he looks at her. "Do you think they'll be stupid enough to try to arrest me?"

…Erza wasn't actually sure. "They may try. However, there are many laws that are…suspended for the sake of the games. The competition itself is a violation of the treaty banning conflict between the guilds. And there are no rules that explicitly state that actions such as torture, murder, or killing in self-defense are not allowed." It was something that she found rather odd, but Erza was in no place to have those rules amended. "In any case, if they try, they will fail. That much, I can promise you. After all, at the moment, we're not on very good terms with the kingdom, ourselves."

"I'm more worried about them than me." Sasuke shrugs, but then winces. "My family wouldn't allow them to take me, even if I went willingly." And that was assuming Fairy Tail didn't come to his defense. Gajeel might hold a grudge against him, but Sasuke figured Erza would do what she always did in battle. Something equal parts reckless and heroic (and that would likely ensure he had a head of gray hair before he was his father's age at this rate)!

"Yes, you should worry more for them than us." Erza's gaze darkens considerably. "Lest they wish to make enemies of Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus. And I'm certain that Lamia Scale would stand with us."

He sighs at that and nods. "I don't regret killing her, but I hope I didn't just start a war." Not over that bitch, anyway. There were some things worth fighting for. Minerva wasn't one of them.

Erza blinks, then smiles sympathetically, stroking Sasuke's cheek. "Don't worry. If fighting were to break out, then the blame lies solely with the kingdom. They are the ones who started this, and we will be the ones to end it."

"It's hard to worry when I have you here." Looking suspiciously well recovered. "The healers must really be something." She had been more dead than alive when he killed Minerva and now, she was the one offering him comfort? It would have been funny, if his entire body wasn't in agony.

"I can worry enough for the both of us." She laughs softly, before turning her gaze on the tall spires of the palace worriedly. "…They've been in there for hours…" And yet, there had been no explosions, no fire, not even a mild earthquake. And they'd lost contact with the team as well.

"Maybe, they just asked for a difficult prize to grant or the King is giving them a tour." Sasuke pause as a nagging question resurface in his mind. "Where is Natsu anyway?"

"In the palace." Erza's eyes narrow, expecting to see a signal flare, but seeing nothing. "Leading a team to take back our 'prize' by force from the Royal Army."

"Take back your prize?" Sasuke looks at her in confusion. "What are you talking about and why are you going up against the Royal Army?"

Erza turns her eyes back on Sasuke, lifting his head and placing it in her lap. "In return for winning the games, we were promised an audience with the king to negotiate for the release of one of our members who was arrested on false charges of treason. But, as we do not expect the minister or the king to release her, Natsu, Wendy, and Mira, along with Happy, Carla, and Pantherlily, broke into the palace near the start of today's competition in order to rescue Lucy. They forced our hand, and we are responding accordingly."

Sasuke really wasn't sure what the cats were going to be able to do about anything, but he was more stunned at the fact they were willing to storm the castle. "I don't know what to say..." Other than Lucy apparently had a target on her back wherever she went and they were nuts. "They'll try to keep it under wraps, but with the way Natsu fights, the entire Kingdom will likely be aware of what is going on soon."

"Yes, I assume that as we haven't seen their signal flare to indicate the success of their mission, that they are currently in battle." Though not particularly heated battle, in Erza's opinion. "Likely with the common soldiers, as we've seen no fireballs shattering palace windows and blasting into the sky."

"If they're just fighting foot soldiers, would they know to hold back?" Did Natsu even know the meaning of the word restraint?

"Of course." Erza sighs, toying with raven locks. "It's likely the only reason that the palace remains standing." If Natsu weren't holding back, the palace would likely, at the very least, be tipping over by this point. "We do have an unfortunate reputation concerning…property damage."

"Unfortunate, but accurate." Sasuke smiles at her, enjoying the feeling of her playing with his hair. "I'd help, but I've used up all my chakra."

"It's alright, we were simply the distraction." Well, and the backup plan. But Erza wasn't counting on the king's good graces to get them out of this pinch. "I'm certain that Natsu, Mira, and Wendy can handle things inside. We simply have to rest and recover, and be prepared just in case a battle does break out."

Rest sounded good. "Yeah. I can do that." Sasuke closes his eyes again as he begins to doze off.

Erza runs her fingers through his hair, lulling him to sleep. He deserved it, she had just woken him to make sure that he was alright. He'd taken quite the hit to the head, after all. "Sweet dreams…"

"Is he alright?" A woman who looked suspiciously like Sasuke rushes over. "I saw him go down during the match." A man who vaguely resembled Itachi wasn't far behind her.

Erza raises her eyes to the pair, nodding slowly. "Yes, he is. He's just tired and requires sleep, and time to heal." Examining them both, and noting the reactions, she smiles. "I take it that you are his parents?"

"Yes, I"m Mikoto." She glances at the man. "And this is my husband, Fugaku." Mikoto pauses in a manner that resembled a child trying to sneak into a cookie jar. "And I take it you are my son's lover? Well Sasuke's more specifically." Itachi apparently had a fondness for someone Shisui referred to as a 'She-Devil.'

Cheeks flushing to nearly the same shade as her hair, Erza shakes her head. "Ah, no, we're not…" It was a little early for THAT, wasn't it? "Not…yet."

Fugaku shakes his head. "Forgive my wife." He gives her a look. "She can be rather...direct sometimes." He smiles at her. "Though...I can't entirely blame her for getting that impression. You did look rather fond of each other during the final match." That was putting it lightly.

…Right, they did that while being recorded by the lacrimas. She'd forgotten about that. "Yes…we are certainly fond of each other." Fond enough to start kissing where thousands of people could see them. "I take it, by your reactions, that the two of you do not disapprove?"

Mikoto smiles at her and shakes her head. "We were...not able to be there for him for most of his life. I'm happy that someone else was able to." She rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "And well, I doubt we could really stop him from seeing you, even if we were inclined to do so."

"If he's anything like his mother or grandfather, I assure you that my wife is right about that and it is best not to inquire about details." Fugaku coughs and suddenly finds his sandals fascinating.

Okay, so there was something there that Erza shouldn't ask about. Interesting, but potentially dangerous. Or perhaps simply embarrassing. Better than worrying, as she was about to admit. "I…wish that I could have been there for him more than I was, however, I cannot claim that credit due to circumstances outside of either of our control. The wizards of Blue Pegasus are responsible for raising Sasuke, and supporting him during the years that he thought…well, the worst." That she was dead. Not that she could blame him, it was a logical assumption to make.

Fugaku sighs at that as he watches Sasuke sleep. "Well it seems that we all understand the pain of not being there for the ones we love due to circumstances outside our control." That was putting it mildly. Well he was here now. Maybe, he could at least prevent Sasuke from getting a third tattoo.

"Yes." Erza's fingers twitch, but she remains careful not to cause Sasuke pain or wake him up. "But we will do better this time. We won't fail our family again." She looks up to them, smiling sadly. "And I'm sure that you'll do the same."

"Yes, of course." Mikoto smiles. "Oh and tomatoes, by the way. That's his favorite food." Such things were important for a wife to know about her husband.

Erza blinks, caught a little off guard by the helpful 'advice'. "I see, that makes sense." She'd seen him asking for tomatoes when he was younger, when he used to visit the guild hall. "He ate them frequently when he used to come visit as a child."

Fugaku shakes his head. "Let the boy at least recover before you help the girl pick out her wedding dress." Honestly, his wife was a force of nature sometimes.

"There's no need." Erza shakes her head, a little baffled by the turn in conversation. "I already have a wedding dress in my collection."

Fugaku blinks at that. "..." Well really, how was he supposed to respond to that. "Welcome to the family. Come, My Love. We should go and tell the others that he's going to be alright and have another look at Itachi before we leave?" Mikoto nods and walks off alongside her husband.

Erza watches them leave, utterly perplexed by the strange behavior of Sasuke's parents. "Well, they certainly do fit in with Blue Pegasus." Perhaps…a little too well?

* * *

Wincing as he sits up, Itachi eyes his parents warily. They'd just finished no doubt traumatizing Erza, and the last thing he needed was to be subjected to the same treatment regarding Mira. Especially not when he was still recovering from broken ribs and internal bleeding. He'd been treated by Porlyusica, Chelia, and one of the royal healers, and by now, there was really nothing more they could do for him. His energy was being replenished by a potion that Porlyusica had given him, and Sasuke's would likely return while he slept.

That did not mean, however, that he was ready to face an inquisition by his parents. "Mother, Father." He bites back the urge to curse painfully. "How is Sasuke?"

"Sasuke is doing as well as can be expected. He's sleeping peacefully." Fugaku nods at him. "Don't worry. He has a Fairy watching over him. So all things considered, he's rather lucky."

"Yes, he is not the only one." Itachi eyes Shisui suspiciously. His cousin was getting far too close to Cana for that to be without ulterior motives. "Shisui appears to be looking for the comfort of coming in second from his own Fairy." Whereas Itachi's…his was nowhere to be found.

"You are trying to distract us." Mikoto laughs at her son and kisses his forehead. "You always were a clever boy, but I suppose you do need your rest. We'll speak to you about this She-Devil later." She smiles at him.

Itachi gulps. That was not an interrogation that he was looking forward to. "I assure you that there are no developments of note concerning Mirajane." Maybe he could head them off early and save himself a headache? "It is not nearly as…advanced as with Sasuke and Erza." Yes, in this instance, Itachi was more than happy to throw his foolish little brother, who thought that making out in front of thousands of people was a good idea, under the bus.

Fugaku chuckles and shakes his head. "We'll be sure to take that into consideration." He smiles at his eldest son. "How are you feeling besides terrified?"

"I am not terrified." Itachi would never admit to such a thing. "However…" Well, what could he say that wouldn't alarm his parents. "I feel as though I've been hit by a train." Well, he was hit by both Laxus and Erza, so that qualified in his mind. "But, I will recover."

She winces at that. Itachi was clearly in a lot of pain. "If you like, I can see if they'll bring you some cabbage soup." Maybe some of his favorite food would make him feel better.

"Ah…perhaps later." Itachi wasn't sure that he could stomach anything right now. He'd gotten himself a little shredded on the inside, though he suspected that was only to be expected when challenging a dragon slayer. "I am still healing from some internal injuries." Not to mention his newly healing ribs. Those were still rather tender.

Fugaku nods and sighs. "Don't press yourself. You did the right thing." It couldn't have been easy for Itachi. "Yielding so that Sasuke could be properly tended to. I'm proud of you." He shakes his head as a thought occurs to him. "Most of this lot would have done the stupid thing and pressed on anyway."

Well, Itachi hadn't wanted to surrender. Down to the wire, whoever would have won that match would have taken the games for their team. But there had been Sasuke to consider, and then, Erza herself. "It wasn't a fight that was tilted in my favor. Attempting to win by dragging it out would have hurt Sasuke further, and likely caused me permanent injuries." In the end, it hadn't been worth it, and against a match-up like Erza, it just wasn't his fight, not one on one and out in the open with someone seemingly immune to genjutsu and ninjutsu.

"None of those fights were in anyone's favor." Mikoto shakes her head. "I'm surprised these dragon slayers are allowed to compete. Their abilities more closely resemble those of Tailed Beasts than anything."

"And the strongest of Fairy Tail's dragon slayers wasn't even competing today." Itachi wasn't sure how things would have ended had Natsu been competing instead of Juvia. Badly, that was certain. His intelligence or lack thereof, aside, there was no denying that the destructive dragon slayer was powerful. "A Wizard Saint also competed, though I believe that it is for those same reasons that the guild masters are barred from competing." Power and decades of experience? That wouldn't go well for anyone.

Fugaku eyes his son with concern. This world was nothing like their own. "Well I still don't like it, but the Games are over now." So there was nothing for it. "You should get some rest."

Itachi sighs, smiling softly. "You should not let a single competition ruin your opinion of this world. Things are not usually like this. This year it was simply out of control." What with Sabertooth pulling more dirty tricks than usual, and Raven Tail messing things up, and Fairy Tail causing chaos all over the place.

"That is very hard to do when I only have two sons and this competition nearly killed the both of them." Fugaku was far less than pleased by that and he was about to find that damn Iron Dragon Slayer and start chopping off body parts. Starting with his hair…he might work his way down, though. "In any case, you fought well."

Mikoto nods and smiles. "We're very proud of all of you." Especially, Shisui who had been too smart to get involved in this strange competition, it seemed. "And no Fugaku, while it's tempting I don't think you want to attempt to castrate a dragon slayer. You really don't know what might be down there."

"That's a good point." Hmm. "Never mind. Maybe, just his hair then. He should still be unconscious…"

"Uh…" Itachi coughs loudly. "Actually, he was one of the first back on his feet." Dragon slayers were nothing if not sturdy. "And…I believe that he can hear you." Judging by the way that Gajeel's red eyes were garing in their direction. "Dragon slayers have exceptional senses of smell, and just as exceptional hearing."

"Oh good!" Fugaku and Mikoto both glare at him at once. Both parents' eyes just as red, if not redder than the dragon slayer's.

That…wasn't smart. And Itachi was not fond of the look that Gajeel shot back at them. The man didn't know the meaning of fear, that was certain. Well, not when it came to potential opponents. The little blue-haired Fairy, on the other hand, grabs his attention away by elbowing him in the gut, and tugging him away by that long, spiky black mane.

Itachi rolls his eyes at the sight. "There's no use trying to intimidate a dragon slayer, they don't know the meaning of the word fear."

"Then he will damn well learn it." Fugaku snorts.

"You wouldn't be the first to try…" But some lessons just didn't seem to sink in when it came to Fairy Tail. And if the Magic Council, encounters with two of the most powerful dark guilds out there, and the supposed Dragon of the Apocalypse didn't do it, well, Itachi doubted that even his parents could manage it. "Fairy Tail is tenacious and stubborn, to put it lightly. So you may wish to proceed with caution." Then, Itachi frowns. "And keep in mind that we're ALLIED with them." He would rather not sour relations between the guilds for something that happened outside of the games.

Mikoto tries not to twitch at that. "He certainly didn't seem like your ally on that field." At least the red head had shown some restraint. "I will trust your judgment, but if he should happen to accidentally get hit with an Amaterasu, I would not be upset."

Itachi sweatdrops. "Well, we did defeat three of his teammates…and I believe that Sasuke has already introduced him to Amaterasu."

"A few more repeated instances, might deliver the message through his exceedingly thick skull." Mikoto like most parents was not particularly fond of anyone who nearly killed her sons. "And you showed restraint against them." The reverse wasn't true. "Sasuke didn't but that was…self-defense."

Fugaku shakes his head. "We'll leave the matter for another day. I trust your judgment." He sighs as he leans against the wall. "And the fact that Sasuke is practically engaged to a Fairy while Shisui and you are both panting after two other Fairies does make it difficult not to be at least somewhat civil to him."

That, and Gajeel likely had little respect for his elders, and Itachi really didn't fancy his parents' chances against the Iron Dragon Slayer. "I am not 'panting' after a Fairy." He was respectfully pursuing. There was a rather large difference.

"Does your Sharingan activate for this Fairy?" Fugaku smiles at his son.

Itachi's eyes narrow at his father. "I can appreciate that she is a beautiful woman." A beautiful woman who had nearly been wagered away to another man, but he would be sure to rectify that later.

Mikoto giggles and shakes her head. "Then that's the closest to panting an Uchiha gets." She was definitely going to be a grandmother soon.

Displeased by the insinuation, Itachi shoots a scathing look at his mother. "I do not pant as Hibiki, Ren, and Eve, or those fools from Quatro Cerberus do."

"No. They slobber." Mikoto corrects him as she kisses Itachi's forehead. "Get some rest, sweetheart." He was getting wound up over nothing, really.

Rolling his eyes, Itachi leans back against the nearest piece of rubble. And there was plenty of that scattered about from their various battles. Some rest sounded pretty good right about now. He could argue with his mother in the morning.


	24. Chapter 24

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen?

 **Celestia193's Author's Note** : Okay, so this chapter kind of mutated into a Sabertooth/ Akane and Rogue chapter, so...get ready for some weird shit, some cute Frosch, and some funny fluffy stuff.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. This is kinda the calm before the storm chapter. Lots of silly and awkward fluff here. If your not interested in a flustered Rogue, OCS, or Exceeds, you might want to skip this one. I do hope you decide to read it though as it is funny. (Well in my opinion anyway lol). Happy reading.

Chapter 24

It was over. Finally. And Sabertooth…had lost spectacularly. Rogue would never have believed it if it wasn't for the fact that he'd had his own ass handed to him by the man he'd idolized since he was a kid. Fairy Tail had won, and it sounded like Blue Pegasus had come in a pretty strong second. While their team had been left in the dust. "This really wasn't our year…"

He pats his little buddy on the head, finally limping over to where his team had ended up in the large plaza that Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus' final match had torn up. He'd gone down halfway across the city, and gone down hard thanks to Gajeel. "You guys alright?" Sting looked no worse for wear, but Rufus and Orga both looked like they got hit by trains. Meaning…Gray and Laxus. But at least it looked like their injuries had been tended to.

"About as well as can be expected." Rufus nods at him. Though Orga remains silent. "My pride is more injured than anything." It had sorely taken a beating during this year's Games.

"Just glad that Lector is back. Safe and sound." The White Dragon Slayer was still holding a very cuddly Exceed in his arms. "You going to be alright?" He knew that his friend had taken a brutal beating in the final fight.

"Yes, it's nothing that won't heal." Well, except for maybe the gash currently scabbing up on his nose. But Rogue didn't mind a few scars, it was just something that came with being a wizard. Especially with being a dragon slayer. "…We lost by almost thirty points." That was a hit to the ego, but somehow, Rogue didn't feel too bad about that. He felt like he learned a lot. "Where's…" The reigning terror of the Sabertooth Guild. Rogue didn't even want to speak her name. "I assume that she lost." There was no other outcome, really. Maybe now she'd leave.

"Minerva isn't coming back." Sting wasn't sure how to feel about that exactly. "She's dead." He couldn't believe it really, but he had seen it with his own eyes. Not that she didn't have it coming in some ways, but it was still shocking.

"She's…" Rogue's eyes widen, and he notices Frosch shaking a little in his arms. "I see." She must have gone too far. Again. But this time, she did it in front of someone who was more than capable of fighting back.

"…She's gone?" Frosch looks up with wide, almost teary eyes. "Lector's back and she…she's gone?"

"That's right." Rogue bends down to set Frosch on the ground. "Why don't you and Lector play for a bit? Just don't go far, okay?" He eyes Lector carefully, noting that the cat's fur is soaked with tears. Happy tears, judging by the expression on his face. He was glad that his friends could reunite, truly, he was, but obviously there was a lot he'd missed while unconscious.

"Okay!" The red feline toddles over to his friend and takes his paw in his own. "Come on. I saw a stand selling fish nearby!" Obviously, the wizards needed to talk alone for a minute.

"She's really gone." Sting nod his head, confirming it. With Rufus doing the same. "Her heart got torn out." They were both clearly in shock. "Saw it myself."

Rogue stifles a wry laugh. "Was it black?" Considering the things she'd done, the people she'd killed, it wouldn't surprise Rogue in the slightest.

"Oddly enough, it was the normal color." Rufus figured he may as well say something. "Though what surprised me most was who killed her."

"Erza?" Rogue figured that since they'd basically declared war against Fairy Tail, they'd be out for Minerva's blood, at least. And judging by Rufus and Orga, Fairy Tail had really torn into all of them. Only Sting had gotten off easy, and only because he surrendered. "I didn't see any blood on Gajeel, so…Laxus, maybe?"

Sting shakes his head. "Wasn't a member of Fairy Tail." That's what was what so shocking, really. "Sasuke did it. The youngest one from Blue Pegasus." The blonde couldn't help, but smirk a bit. "I mean I guess it's understandable, Minerva was going after his woman apparently. You should have seen Erza and Inferno shortly afterward…they were all over each other. Erza was right on top of him while they were making out." It was kinda funny in a way. "I guess they take that whole kissing it better thing seriously."

"Inferno…Sasuke Uchiha." Rogue had heard of him, seen him fight, but he'd never properly met the youngest member of the Blue Pegasus team. "He must be stronger than I thought, to have dealt with her like that." Minerva had always seemed unbeatable, and yet…now she lay dead. "And her body?"

"There's nothing left to bury." Rufus frowns at that. The ultimate insult, he supposed. "He burned it. Ashes."

"Not even ashes." Orga's brow wrinkles. "Saw the place afterward, There's nothing there but a scorch mark."

Gone…she was really gone… "I see." Rogue breathes a sigh of relief. "I suppose that solves one of our problems." But now that their master and Minerva were gone…what were they going to do? "What do we do now?"

"I'll take over." Sting nods at that. "I did defeat our last Master and without Minerva around, it seems like it's my slot by right."

Rufus shrugs at that. His pride had taken a beating. "I don't mind Sting being in charge." He wasn't in the mood to challenge him for the title. "He certainly can't do any worse than our previous guild master."

"No, I suppose he can't." And if nothing else, at least Sting would have him around to give him a good smack if he got totally out of control. "Things…need to change." Rogue glances around, watching as members of the other guilds arrive in the plaza, along with more than a few…guests. Particularly guests of Blue Pegasus.

That's when Fro and Lector come back with their fish. "Yeah!" Fro beams as he bites into his fish. "We can be a friendlier guild now!" The feline was positively giddy because Minerva was gone. "Without Minerva and Jiemma, now Ro can invite his girlfriend over!"

A cherry, Rogue was pretty sure that he looked like a cherry right now. "Frosch, I don't have a girlfriend!" Not that he couldn't get one, if he wanted one. But…no, just… "And where did you hear that word, anyway?" He was pretty sure that he'd covered Frosch's ears whenever the topics of love or sex came up.

"Lector said so when Fro asked about Happy and Carla." He beams at Ro. Either not realizing his Dragon Slayer was thoroughly embarrassed or finding it funny. "The pretty lady who found Fro. Remember?" He toddles over to Rogue and offers him some fish. "The one in the Candy Shop? She is Ro's girlfriend."

Rogue's ears start to burn, though most of his blush was hidden by his fringe. "Frosch…she's not my girlfriend." And the snickers from his partner were definite NOT helping him keep his cool. "And what Fairy Tail's cats…do in their free time isn't something that you should ask about. That's private."

Fro pouts at that. "Fro didn't ask. Happy said that Carla was his girlfriend." He nods sagely at this as if it was obvious. "So Fro asked Lector what a girlfriend was."

"I'm suddenly rather grateful that I do not possess my own talking cat." Rufus shakes his head as Sting cracks up.

"Which one is she?" The blond looks at Fro excitedly and well, the Exceed was only too happy to point her out in the crowd.

"Frosch!" Rogue snatches up his cat, stopping the little guy a second too late from pointing out one tall, dark-haired girl in the crowd around Blue Pegasus.

"Good choice." Rufus tilts his head thoughtfully. "She does have lovely legs." There was nothing more appealing to him than a woman with shapely legs.

"Yeah." Sting nods. "She's hot. I'm just not really, you know, into dark hair." He shrugs. "Though you should Dragon Slayer Up, Rogue." He snickers at his unexpectedly shy friend. "Go talk to her if you like her. I mean, you must have it bad, if Fro noticed."

"I spoke with her for two minutes because she found Frosch when he snuck off, and babysat him while he was in a candy store!" Why was this not sinking into his teammates' heads!? "And stop ogling her, Rufus!" Rogue shifts to the side, blocking the pervert's view of her.

"Well if she's not your girlfriend and you don't have feelings for her, I fail to see why you're so distraught at me admiring her feminine curves?" He shrugs, trying to hide a smirk because he knew Rogue couldn't argue with that logic.

"You're saying it in front of Frosch!" And the last thing Rogue needed was his innocent little buddy picking up any more bad words from his guild mates. Or terms that led to uncomfortable questions that Rogue just really didn't want to answer.

Sting shakes his head and laughs. "Well…I guess if she's interested in baby Dragon Slayers, you're all set. You already sound like an overprotective dad." Honestly, his partner was nineteen going on thirty-nine sometimes.

"Ugh, you're all impossible." Rogue shoots them all a bunch of dark glares, before turning away from his team and storming off in no particular direction.

…Bullshit, he was heading for exactly who his teammates thought he was.

* * *

Akane still couldn't believe that Sasuke had actually killed someone. Though she was currently breathing a sigh of relief. "They're going to be alright." Mikoto and Fugaku had just come back and had just briefed everyone. "They'll need a lot of rest, but Itachi and Sasuke will both be fine as will their teammates."

"Fro thinks so too!" A tiny pink-clad green frog skips up to her, tugging on the leg of her pants. "Hi pretty lady!"

"Fro?" She blinks as she looks down and sees the cute talking cat that may or may not be suffering from an identity crisis. "What are you doing here?" She smiles down at him. Though it was possible he just liked dressing up as a pink frog for some reason.

Mikoto smiles at the cat. "It seems this world has some rather exotic ninja cats." She looks at Fugaku. "Do you think we can get one."

Fugaku tries not to groan. "Perhaps." Though one not dressed in pink would probably be preferable…unless Sasuke or Itachi gave them a granddaughter in the near future.

"Frosch!" Rogue sighs exasperatedly as he moves to scoop up his runaway cat. "This is why you keep getting lost!"

"Ro!" The little cat jumps back into his dragon slayer's arms, snuggling happily against his chest. "Fro found Ro's girlfriend!"

Once again, Rogue's cheeks flush as red as his eyes. "Frosch!"

"Well…I'd say that's our cue." Fugaku shakes his head and leads his wife off. "To go and explore more of the city." Mikoto nods as she walks off with Fugaku, hand in hand. It seemed love was in the air or more specifically, a talking pink cat who was dressed like a frog but also wanted to play Cupid.

"It's alright." Akane rubs the back of her head sheepishly. "He's just a kitten." A kitten who probably didn't know any better.

"Fro thinks so too!" His little white wings pop out as he grins widely.

Rogue hides his face behind his hair as he listens to the older couple walk off. Damn them and their snickering. "…" What was he supposed to say? His damn cat was trying to play freaking Cupid!

"I'm glad you're alright." She shakes her head. "These matches are…barbaric, really, even by ninja standards." Which was certainly saying something.

Rogue shrugs, wincing only slightly. "I've been in worse." Well, up until the point that Gajeel had hit him with that new roar. That…had hurt. "It's an occupational hazard."

"Men are the same everywhere." She shakes her head and smiles. "Always pretending you're less hurt than you are." She smiles and scratches Fro's ears. "You make sure to watch over him, alright?"

"Fro will!" Frosch waves his little paws around eagerly. "Fro likes Ro!" Then, he tilts his head cutely. "Fro wonders…what's a ninja?"

"A ninja is…my job. It's similar to a wizard, I suppose…only more specialized." From what she could gather anyway. She knew so little of this place.

…Well, that was enlightening. Sort of. Rogue eyes the girl carefully, almost suspiciously. "You're…related to them, right? To Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Mhm." There was no need to lie about that. They had the same last name and all had the Sharingan. "I guess the family resemblance is fairly obvious." She activates her Sharingan. "Itachi and Sasuke are my second cousins and Shisui is my third."

"I see." He shifts his weight a little, his whole body aching from the impact of falling a mile from the sky. Gajeel's roar had really gotten him some distance. "You do…look a lot like them." Her eyes…they reminded him so much of his own, just without the slit pupils, and with dots instead. "Can your whole family do…that?"

"Not our whole family." She shakes her head. "It's generally not something the children of our family can do unless they're very gifted or unlucky, depending on your interpretation." The Sharingan was probably either mostly unknown or entirely in this world. "The one that Sasuke killed was your teammate, I would offer my condolences, but…I don't think you're particularly sad about her passing."

Maybe, that was why she was telling him as much as she was. Her cousin had just killed his teammate and it was likely something he'd find out eventually anyway. Maybe, the fact that the cat liked her would negate some of the bad blood that was likely still simmering between the two 'guilds'.

"Honestly…no, I'm not." It would take quite a lot for Rogue to bring himself to be sad over Minerva. "She was a tyrant, even worse than her father, in some ways." Her father…who forced teenagers to fight their guild mates to the death just to weed out the weak. "I doubt anyone will miss either of them very much."

"I'm sorry to hear that she was that cruel and that Sasuke now has blood on his hands." Though if it hadn't been Sasuke, it sounded like someone else would have eventually done it. "Though I am glad that you are not interested in starting a Clan War over her."

"A…what?" Rogue blinks, not at all understanding what she just…accused him, or not accused him of? "What is a Clan War?" And was it something that he needed to shield Frosch's ears from? Yes, he did believe so. So he subtly presses his hands over Frosch's ears, rubbing them to distract his little buddy.

This world was strange. "In this city, it seems that 'Guilds' fill the role of Clans. Clans are usually related by blood...an extended family that largely shares the same occupation, if you will." He looked so confused. She might as well have been speaking another language. "Here, Guilds don't seem to necessarily be made up of relatives, but they fill the same role. You live together, you train together, you work together, and you fight together. A Clan War is when two Clans war with each other…"

"Oh." Well, that sounded kind of odd. At least, to Rogue, who couldn't remember having a blood family to begin with. "No, we're not allowed to do that." Not that it really stopped guilds from going to war sometimes, but now that theirs was unstable, going to war illegally with another guild was…inadvisable, at best. "The Magic Council wouldn't be pleased. One or both guilds could be disbanded."

"That's good." Clan Wars really weren't fit for the ears of cute kittens dressed in frog costumes. "Was there something you wanted other than to get Fro back?" Maybe, she should get him a leash. This seemed to be a pattern for the feline…would that be cruel though? Fro seemed to have the mind of a young child. Certainly not an animal.

"…" Rogue glances around, looking for an excuse. "…Maybe a healer?" Yeah, that was good. After all, he knew that he still needed looking at.

"I can have a look at you, if you want." She smiles at him. "I am a medic." Though she imagined her world's techniques were very different from this one's. Oh well. He needed looked at and if it gave her an excuse to get him out of his shirt…well all the better.

"You are?" He blinks, surprised by the admission. "Uh…" Great, now he was stuck in this embarrassing situation. "Sure…"

"Of course, if you prefer going to see your regular medic, I understand." She nods at him reassuringly. "The fact that you're actually already recovered enough to walk and carry on a conversation is phenomenal really. I've never seen someone heal as quickly as you."

His cheeks flush a little brighter. "I don't heal that quickly." He was just stubborn, really, and he knew it. "I'm a dragon slayer…so I can just take more of a beating than normal wizards. It's why…I don't have a 'regular' medic." He usually didn't need one.

"Yes, I keep hearing that term thrown out a lot. I'm still not really sure what it means other than the people with that title seem to have an enormous capacity for destructive power." Dragon Slayers...though she had yet to see any actual dragons. Maybe, it was more like a title. Their version of Kages or ANBUS? "Are you warm? Your face is flushed."

"I'm fine." Rogue hurriedly takes off his fresh cape, revealing his tattered and bloodied gray shirt as he turns his back to her. "And it's not a title so much as…the kind of magic we use. There's seen of us, well, five, really, and two artificial slayers. But the five of us…the real ones, we were all raised by dragons, and taught to use their magic."

She thought he was joking at first, but he said it with such sincerity that she found herself believing him. "I should like to hear more about these dragons and I would like it even more, if you took off what little remains of your shirt so your cuts don't get infected by the dirt and the dried blood doesn't irritate your skin." Also for the view, but she didn't have to admit that.

"Okay." Working off the elbow guards first, Rogue slides his shirt over his head. Some of his cuts were still bleeding, or rather, had started bleeding again with the long walk from where he went down, to arriving here in the courtyard. "…What do you want to know?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable telling me." Those cuts were still bleeding or had reopened. It was hard to tell with the dirt. So she uses a minor Water Jutsu and a cloth to wash the dirt and dried blood off. "That's much better." Taking great care to do it slowly. By this time, the other Uchihas were milling about with the Pegasus Members and it almost seemed as if the Uchihas were trying to distract the stallions and mares. Nah. That had to be a coincidence.

Whatever he felt comfortable telling her. Well, that wasn't much. "…My dragon…was named Skiadrum. The Shadow Dragon." And he felt even less comfortable with her hands all over him, scrubbing at his wounds. Though he attributed that more to the fact that wounds in general were uncomfortable and unpleasant to deal with. "He taught me until I was five years old."

"I figured out that your chakra nature is shadow." She smiles at him. "We don't have that type naturally as a nature where I come from, though some do use shadow jutsu." She places her hands over his chest and an ethereal green light emits from them. "You don't have to talk about Skiadrum, if it makes you uncomfortable."

"It's okay, he died fourteen years ago…" Rogue stares at the light, feeling his wounds close up. "You…can use healing magic? Or…you said chakra? How can you do that…exactly?"

"Oh well it takes a lot of training." She nods at him. "Yes, though. Chakra is what we call magical energy where I come from." Their words were so strange to her.

"I see." That was…extremely odd. Chakra…it was a very foreign word on Rogue's tongue. "There must be many talented…" What had she called them, ninja? "Ninja healers where you come from." It also sounded as though it was very far away, another continent, maybe? "I've only encountered two wizards before with the ability to heal."

Hmm. Well they were rare, but not that rare. "Every ninja village has at least a few medics. Though we're definitely a minority." She pauses as though considering it. "It varies from village to village, but I would say probably five to fifteen percent of ninjas are either fully or partially trained in medical ninjutsu."

Five to fifteen percent? "That's a lot of healers." Rogue moves his arms a little, having used them to take the brunt of Gajeel's breath attack. "I suppose that means that where you come from, healing isn't a Lost Magic. Here…we just make do with what we can manage ourselves, or through professional doctors."

"Well ninjas make up a small percentage of our population to begin with." She didn't want him to get the wrong idea. "So it's a minority of a minority." It wasn't like there were medics everywhere that one looked. "I'm sorry that your land has so few medics. That must be awful, especially in competitions like these."

"During the games, we have the royal healers close by, just in case someone is injured." Or worse. "It's not as dangerous as our actual work." Well, the games were more difficult than the work most wizards did, but speaking from personal experience, Rogue had been in far more dangerous situations. "For some of us…we're lucky to come back in one piece from a job."

Maybe, their worlds weren't so different after all. "Yes, ninjas are the same way in that respect." She finishes healing him with the soothing green energy. "I"m glad that you came back in one piece form your missions though. You do have some very nice pieces, it would be a shame if lost some of them."

His cheeks flush red again, and he makes to conceal his face. "Do you have any bandages on you?"

"Yes." She reaches into a pouch and pulls some out. "I carry them along with my kunai and traveling rations." Akane hands him the bandages. "I healed your injuries, so you shouldn't need them. Though it doesn't hurt to have some extra laying around."

"Thanks." She'd gotten all the injuries he'd let her at, but there was one that was already closing up that needed tending to. The scar would be strange enough, it would be weirder if it was half healed. Not that he cared much about that. He unravels a length of the white cloth, cutting it cleanly with a tiny bit of magic, before proceeding to wrap the bandages over the bridge of his nose.

"If you want, i can do your nose as well." She had missed that somehow.

He shakes his head, a small smile gracing his face. "It'll remind me that I've learned my lesson." To not follow someone like Jiemma or Minerva ever again, that mistreating your comrades is wrong, that…a lot of things Sabertooth held to be true, were wrong.

She nods in understanding. "Alright. If you're sure." Well as scars went, his was actually cute.

"Yeah." Rogue glances down at Frosch, noting that his little buddy as already fallen asleep. That little guy could fall asleep anywhere, at any time. It was a gift, really. And one that Rogue wished he had. "What about you? You must have used a lot of power to heal me."

"Oh no. Not really." She shakes her head. "Your injuries were already fairly minor by the time I looked at you."

"Oh, good." Though Rogue knew that his own scale of major and minor injuries was likely rather skewed, he had a bad habit of underestimating the strength of others. "Lucky it's evening, though."

"Yes, it appears the worst of it is over." She smiles. Not realizing how very wrong she was about that.

"Well, yes, but it means that I can replenish my magic power easily. I was getting hungry anyway." Rogue exhales a deep breath, before inhaling slowly, wisps of shadow rising up from the ground around them, before disappearing between his lips.

She blinks in confusion. "Did you just eat the shadows?" Must be a Dragon Slayer thing.

Chuckling softly, Rogue nods slightly. "I convert them into magical power. It's one of my abilities as a Shadow Dragon Slayer." And very convenient, since wherever there was light, there was also shadow. The darkness protected him, just like Skiadrum always had.

"What do shadows taste like?" She couldn't really imagine it.

Rogue blinks. "Like shadows." …Oh, right, human. "…It's kind of hard to explain." How could he explain what shadows taste like to someone who had never tasted shadows before. "…Thick…and it was hard not to choke at first. But like…darkness?"

Akane's eyes dance with mischief and she couldn't entirely stifle a laugh. "Thick and hard not to choke at first sounds like something else...minus the darkness."

Tick…tick… Rogue chokes on the shadows, coughing up a bunch of them as his face blazes cherry red. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant like…" He trails off, his cheeks still burning hot.

"Forgive me." She shakes her head and looks at her feet. "I suppose that was in poor taste. My Clan is apparently more open about such things than Sabertooth is. I should have held my tongue."

"Ah…no, it's not that." Jeez, now he was going to look like a dork. "That's more…Sting's department than mine. We're not shy, I just…I'm usually more focused on Frosch than on…" He lowers his voice, covering his cat's ears for good measure. "Sex."

"Well I'm sure that he appreciates the attention and he does seem like quite the adorable handful." She concedes. He was a shy one. "Though I'm sure that you don't lack for offers of companionship in any case." Akane had thoroughly embarrassed him. She felt a little guilty about that. "At least unlike that iron beast, your lover wouldn't have to worry about getting her lip cut up by all that metal on his face." That and Rogue seemed considerably less likely to sire pink haired sons than Natsu. That poor Dragon Slayer. His childhood must have been so traumatizing.

His idol who'd beaten him to a pulp aside, Rogue shakes his head. "No, there's no shortage of offers." That was just one of the things that came with being a powerful wizard. "Sting indulges in the attention more than I care to." He scratches Frosch's ears softly. "I just try to keep Frosch out of all of that."

"Well he seems like a smart cat." She shakes her head in amusement. "I believe he could read a DO NOT DISTURB sign, should you ever wish to indulge yourself." She smiles at the cute furball and pets him. "You're either shy or selective. Those aren't necessarily bad things."

"I would get Lector to watch him!" Damn it, this woman was intent on embarrassing him. "And is it so wrong to be both?"

"Not really." She smiles at him. "Some women enjoy a challenge."

…This woman was going to kill him. "Well, I'm not-" He'd started to try to organize some kind of defense, but was cut off by the sound of stomping boots.

"Attention wizards!" A troop of soldiers march into the plaza, each one of them armed to the teeth. Well, at least for royal soldiers. "You are summoned to the Crystal Plaza. The king asks for your presence!"

She blinks at that. "What's going on?" Why were the wizards being summoned.

"And why exactly is the king summoning us?" The tiny old master of Fairy Tail eyes the soldiers suspiciously.

The squad captain's face grows grim. "The kingdom is under threat of attack by dragons."

"By…dragons?" The words rang in Rogue's ears. It was impossible, there were no dragons left! Just…what the hell was going on!?

Why did Rogue look so shocked? He said he was raised by a dragon and there were dragon slayers. So obviously, they existed. "I"m no wizard, but I'd like to go as well. I have healing magic as you call it." She looks at the captain.

Worried scarlet eyes fall on Akane as the soldier simply waves it off. "If you are capable of fighting, we would be glad of your help!"

"I'm capable of fighting." She smiles at him. "I'm a Jonin." Apparently, that meant something where she came from.

Rogue wasn't sure that whatever that meant was going to help much against dragons. "Have you ever fought a dragon before?"

"Well no…I have fought against giant snakes though?" Orochimaru's Summons were close enough in her mind.

Before he could say a word, the thundering voice, not at all what you would expect from such a tiny man, of Fairy Tail's Master rings out. "Fairy Tail, move out!"

Rogue sighs at the proclamation, before getting to his feet and fastening his cape around his shoulders. "Then if it looks like things are going badly, run. This isn't going to be like fighting giant snakes." No, it was going to be like fighting flying giant snakes the size of castles with four limbs, breathing some kind of magic, and with hides as strong as diamond.


	25. Chapter 25

Who Needs a Princess, When You Can Have a Queen

 **Celestia193's Author's Note:** Alright, so now that I'm not seething about irritating reviews so much that I can't write this story, let's get back to our irregularly scheduled ass-kicking, shall we? The real battle is about to begin, and the no holds barred brawling is about to kick off. Which means…power-ups are coming in the near future, for those who can't survive (or stop complaining) without their super S-Class Uchihas.

 **Silver's Author's Note:** This chapter is the beginning of the battle chapters. It's more to serve as an introduction to the battle with some fighting thrown in to show what the dragons are capable of. Next chapter is most likely where the more intensive fighting will begin and you will see even more characters face off against the dragons. Happy reading.

Chapter 25

Well…shit. They were really in the doghouse now. "Dragons." Hibiki couldn't believe it. "Ten thousand dragons." The king couldn't possibly be serious. He hadn't picked up anything like that on his Archive, and wouldn't something in the atmosphere change if there were a thunder of ten thousand dragons heading right for the capital? Wait, would he even be able to tell what sort of readings dragons gave off when they appeared?

How big were dragons, anyway? The size of a house? A ship? Acnologia had apparently been enormous enough to almost destroy Tenrou Island with one attack. Would they be able to land in such a crowded city, or were their guilds going to have to fight them from the ground? The buildings were going to get destroyed. Well, if Fairy Tail didn't do it first.

And then there were the dragon slayers, who, after their moment of stunned silence, were looking way too eager to fight dragons. Hibiki particularly didn't like the way that Gajeel was smiling. It was an eager smile that preluded many structures getting mowed down by a magical chainsaw. "We…are so screwed." This repair bill was going to be big enough to bankrupt all of the guilds in the country.

Aiya shakes her head as she looks around. "One never wins a battle by going in with the assumption they will lose." Honestly, she understood that a guild named after flying horses was likely not going to be the most aggressive one, but the boy looked far too terrified for her liking. "We've got dragons and we've got dragon slayers." Wasn't it the dragon slayer's job to kill dragons?! Did no one speak English in this world?!

Eve laughs awkwardly from next to Master Bob. "Ah…that's kind of part of the problem." He knew Hibiki's mind as well as he did his own. "By the time the battle is over, the city is probably going to be flattened. And usually, if our guilds destroy anything, we're the ones who have to pay for it. And…there's kind of a lot of stuff here to destroy. Including a royal palace."

"If they prefer, I suppose that the dragon slayers and our guild could just leave them all to die and then they wouldn't have to worry about the expenses." She rolls her eyes at such an announcement. "Honestly, whatever happened to common sense?"

Kenji sighs as he hears the sounds of the many guilds dispersing. "It was never all that common to begin with, but let's try not to die before the sun rises, and worry about the expenses later." That seemed the more practical solution in his mind.

"Right, and we'll just let Fairy Tail cover the bills, since they've got four dragon slayers, and are definitely going to do the most damage." Ren rolls his eyes. "Like usual. Remember Nirvana?"

Hibiki sighs. "They destroy ancient walking cities and airships."

"Don't forget entire ports and landmark cathedrals." Eve smiles wryly. "And conference halls, train stations, mansions…"

"Part of one of the biggest forests in the kingdom, entire city blocks, markets, magic coliseums…" Ren ticks items off the list on his fingers, until he runs out, and starts over. "Giant towers made of magical crystal, casinos, bars, hotels, taverns, pubs, and of course their own guild hall."

"Don't forget mountains…" Hibiki sweatdrops. "They're probably going to cause more damage to this city than the dragons."

Mikoto shakes her head. "Is now really the time to be reminiscing?" She'd never fought a dragon before, but it looked like none of them were really going to have a choice. "Their bellies and genitals are probably the weakest regions. That and their eyes." She nods thoughtfully.

"Theoretically, anyway." Hibiki types possible scenarios and variables into his Archive. "But no one's seen a dragon in four hundred years, except for Natsu and the others. And then…Acnologia…" But that was a whole different ball game altogether. "Let's hope he's not leading the horde." That would go very badly. "But anyway, you're right. In theory, the weak spots should be the eyes, the inside of the mouth, the belly, provided that they don't have scales or thick hide there, the joints, and the wings, as well as the places between the fingers and toes, again, assuming that the space is actually there. But since the descriptions I've gotten of dragons from the dragon slayers are all different…there's no way to know for sure."

Fugaku didn't find that particularly comforting. "Well seeing as we don't have anything particularly concrete to go on, the theory will just have to do." That and they'd have to make it up as they went along.

There were hundreds of wizards in the city, but they were still outnumbered twenty to one. And even if they managed to thin the numbers down to less than a thousand, they were still fighting two to one odds, and only a handful of people were even trained to fight dragons. "I hope Natsu comes back soon." Hibiki sighs, trying to formulate a plan for maybe getting the dragons to start attacking each other. "But we're going to have to hold out for as long as we can, and try to take down a few dragons while the specialists go to work."

"So, what's the plan, Hibiki." Ren's dark eyes grow cold and serious. "Fairy Tail and Sabertooth have their own dragon slayers, but the rest of the guilds need a plan other than Fairy Tail's loose cannon blitz approach."

"I'm working on it…" Though Hibiki was still thinking about something he'd heard Gajeel muttering about. "Apparently, a long time ago, the dragons were at war with each other. So maybe, if we can turn some of them against each other, it might cut their numbers down." It might also destroy the city faster. "Other than that, I'd suggest elemental attacks like water or ice. But all of the dragon slayers were trained by dragons with different elemental specializations, so I think it's all about matching up people with the right abilities, against dragons that they could fight. Water specialists against fire dragons, lightning wizards against the ones with a thick skin, and anyone who can breathe fire against whatever dragons DON'T breathe fire. Groups are better than trying out single combat. And we should have spotters so that no one gets eaten."

Mikoto blinks at that. "I suppose that's logical enough." Even if it was headache inducing. "Well we're fire." She glances at her family. "Our family specializes in that kind of magic so to speak." So hopefully there was a snow or ice dragon lurking around. They could probably take that one out.

Hibiki blinks. Well, that was good to know. "Alright, then if you see any firebreathers, run in the opposite direction. The dragon slayers can all eat their own elements. I don't know if dragons can do it too, but I'd run on the assumption that they can, or that they're immune, or at least highly resistant to it."

"Very well." Fugaku sighs as he looks around. "Well there's nothing to be gained from just standing here." That was pointless. It would only increase everyone's anxiety and leave them even more vulnerable to attack.

"You're right." Hibiki brings up a map, glancing around at the street signs. "There's a main street not far from here that's pretty side. We could use it to lure a dragon down and pin it in place while we attack from the ground and the rooftops."

"That sounds like a good idea." Better than waiting around, in Aiya's mind anyway.

* * *

Dragons, it just had to be fucking dragons. "You have got to be KIDDING me!" Cana wanted to bang her head against a brick wall. "Acnologia was bad enough, and now there are MORE dragons!?" If this was some sort of cosmic joke, then she was going to go see that Celestial Spirit King, and shove a foot, right up his-

"I wish that everyone was joking." Shisui shakes his head as he places his hand on her shoulder. "Though it appears that there are really dragons and that means you should get your Glitter Cannon ready." Because they were going to be needing it.

Never mind, she was going to shove her foot up THIS idiot's ass first! "It's not called Glitter Cannon, it's Fairy Glitter!" And she didn't even know if that was going to work! Did fairy magic work on dragons?

Shisui sincerely did not see a difference, but decides not to mention that. "Well you had best be prepared to use your Fairy Glitter then." He shakes his head in disbelief.

"…Yeah…" She glances at her arm uncertainly. "If it recharges in time." It took a lot out of her the last time she used it, and the first time, it hadn't even worked. "It's not something I can just…use over and over again." If she could, she'd just aim into the sky and start blasting as soon as they showed their ugly faces.

"Right. Got it." Itachi sighs at that and looks around on full alert. "That is a spell you only cast as a last resort." Well that wasn't particularly helpful, unless they got desperate, but they'd keep that in reserve.

"Well, yeah, that's kind of how ultimate spells work. The more powerful the magic, the harder it is to use." Cana thought that was pretty obvious. "I've still got these, though." She pulls out a deck of tarot cards, thumbing through them anxiously. "That's why we need high ground." Her magic worked best where she could get a clear shot at an opponent. And confined spaces involved the risk of hitting herself as well.

Which is why she'd insisted on climbing up onto the roof of one of the buildings not far from the places that Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, and the other finals teams and their guilds were setting themselves up. The rest of the kingdom's guilds, here to watch the matches after getting dropped during the preliminaries, had spread out through the rest of the city.

The two Uchiha quickly follow her up to the top to serve as backup. "We'll cover you." Well as much as they could cover anyone against dragons, Shisui thinks to himself.

"Thanks. I'll make sure to cover you two as well." Cana flips through her deck, organizing her cards for the eighth time. "We're all in this together, right?"

"Of course." They both nod in agreement.

"Great. Now we just need to know what the hell happened to the rescue team. Natsu, Wendy, and Mira should be back with Lucy by now." She hated it, having to sit around and wait, not just for the dragons, but also for her missing guildmates. "The soldiers said that they were okay, but…" Until she saw them with her own eyes, Cana wouldn't believe it.

Shisui sighs unhappily. "I understand that you want to see your comrades. Let's just make sure you're in one piece and the dragons are not by the time we find them." He smiles at Cana encouragingly.

She takes a deep breath and glances up at him, almost smirking. "Well, let's try and keep you in one piece too, then. It'd be a shame if after all this, all the pretty boys got knocked off."

"Yes, I do prefer all my pieces attached." He chuckles at that. "I'm also sure that Itachi feels the same way regarding this particular matter."

"Yeah, I'll bet." Cana laughs, it's strained, but in Fairy Tail, no matter how bad things got, you were supposed to pick yourself back up and smile. And then kick some dragon ass!

"Cana!" A figure with a pair of wings, and a slightly distorted female voice zips through the air towards them.

"Is that…?" Cana's eyes widen. "Mira!"

Well that was good news. Itachi smiles when he sees the She-Devil. The woman certainly had a lot of power which was something they desperately needed in this circumstance.

The pink and black-clad takeover wizard lands on their rooftop, her wild white hair standing straight up, as it was wont to do in this particular Satan Soul. "How are things looking over here?"

"We're alright for now." Itachi shakes his head and sighs. "Though we don't really know where everyone else is."

"Well, from what I saw, all of the other guilds have spread out across the city." Mira pulls her wings in close to her body, approaching the group of three. "Lucy and Yukino are with Princess Hisui at the Eclipse Gate now, and Natsu…the last time I saw him, he was fighting in the palace with someone who was trying to kill Lucy."

"Why is everyone always trying to torture and kill Lucy?" Itachi and Shisui's voices ring in perfect unison.

Cana shrugs. "Yeah, we're still trying to figure that part out. It's happened at least a dozen times since she joined."

"Maybe it's because she's pretty?" Mira smiles, trying to lighten the mood.

Itachi shakes his head. "I doubt that, if that happened it'd happen to every woman in Fairy Tail." He had yet to see one unfortunate looking female member of that guild. "Especially you."

Mira smiles widely. "You're so sweet."

"It also explains why people try to kill us all the time." Cana rolls her eyes at the thought. "Jose, Hades, those animal guys from Grimoire Heart, that Caprico guy, Azuma, Sol, basically every dark guild that gets within a mile of us…" Again with the fingers. "We've had the Magic Council after us, and Acnologia too…not to mention where all of us got frozen during the beauty pageant for the harvest festival."

"Ah…probably best not to mention all that." Mira laughs softly, very conscious of the fact that being a wizard was not for the faint of heart. "We always come out of it okay."

"We're not strangers to danger ourselves." Shisui nods reassuringly at Cana. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea. "Before we came here, we lived a much harsher lifestyle. Well more myself and Itachi than Sasuke. He was so young at the time..." Ridiculously so and yet, he had clung the most to the old world.

"Well, good job surviving that." She looks to the sky as it starts growing thicker, unusually so. "Let's try and get through tonight in one piece. Because that blood moon looks like a bad omen."

"I don't really believe in omens." If he did, Shisui doubted they would be here. "Let's see if these dragons live up to their name."

For a moment, all is silent, the calm before the storm. But the thickening air begins to feel heavy on the shoulders of the wizards across the city, as unfamiliar magic power coalesces around the palace. The cannon, their best hope at survival.

Only for that assumption to be proven dead wrong as the first bellowing roar sends a shockwave ripping through the city.

"They're here!" Cana raises her cards, taking three between her fingers as her other hand presses to one of her ears.

"Right!" Both Uchiha immediately take a defensive position and activate their Sharingan.

It was time to tackle this disaster head-on.

* * *

It was complete and utter chaos in this city. Apparently, real dragons had been unleashed on the populace, and most people were being evacuated, while those with magic were staying behind to fight. So Akane was now doing perhaps the stupidest thing that she had ever done in her life, she was seeking out Rogue.

"He's got to be here somewhere." The man was a Dragon Slayer. Obviously, he had stayed behind to fight dragons. "I should have memorized his chakra signature better." She sighs to herself as she gingerly makes her way throughout the city.

Akane had snuck off from her family and Blue Pegasus to find him. After all, surely their chances of survival would go up, if they had a Dragon Slayer in their group. That and as strange as it might sound, she actually missed him. Besides, Fro would be absolutely devastated if the man died during this attack. That poor little cat.

"Damn it." She immediately darts behind a nearby building as a shockwave rockets through the city, accompanied by a ferocious roar. Dragons. Clearly, this was why there had been such a panic, and why all of the wizards had been gathered together like that. A defense needed to be mounted against these dragons, but she had a feeling that they wouldn't be easy to kill. Which only made her more determined to find Rogue.

Dark shadows rise into the air, flying beneath the light of the blood moon, far above their heads. The eerie glow cast a dim light on the many colossal misshapen forms in the sky. One…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…nearly a dozen of them flying about above their heads.

Great. She could see nine massive shadows overhead. "Nine shadows." For nine dragons. Akane didn't know much about dragons, but she was pretty damn sure that nine of them wasn't a good thing. "Definitely need to find Rogue." Him or at least another Dragon Slayer.

She had nine dragons nearby and no Slayers. That wasn't a good combination. Akane was a medic. Her healing skills were far superior to her combat skills. Which were to be fair enough to make her a Jonin, but against a dragon? Well she didn't think her ninjutsu would stack up very well.

So she does her best to stay out of sight of the dragons as she continues searching for him. Him or maybe Fro or even Sting. Where there was Fro and Sting, there was usually Rogue.

Searching however, was going to be difficult with nine dragons roaring, and eight of them raining down beams of colored magic on the city. All around, buildings were vaporized, exploded, or toppled. Though it was not the ten thousand dragons prophesied by the king, it was more than enough to begin tearing the city apart.

"Thank goodness, it's nine and not as many as the king was expecting." Akane's eyes widen at the carnage. She was also very grateful for her Sharingan as she manages to dodge the worst of the damage. "People are going to be crushed to death before the dragons ever see them." Falling buildings, beams, and bridges were probably going to kill even more people than the actual dragons themselves at this rate. Luckily, they had evacuated the civilians, but they had to stop this and they had to stop this now.

After another round of bellowing roars, the dragons slowly begin to descend towards the ground, most of them crushing buildings, and creating earthquakes as they touch down. The once beautiful capital city was already falling, and the sounds of spells being shot off all across Crocus were only just now being heard. Including… "Shadow Dragon's ROAR!"

"White Dragon's ROAR!" Two beams of light and darkness, ripping through the sky as one of the dragons lands nearby.

Yep. She was definitely right about the Sting and Rogue theory. "Well that solves that question." She takes cover. After all, Akane was just as likely to get hit by their attacks as the dragons, if they didn't see her first.

There was something beautiful about the sheer force behind their strange Ninjutsu though. "Beautiful as long as I don't get crushed under a beam or something." The medic shakes her head at the thought as she watches them battle. Akane was trying to see if there was an opening for her to help them somehow, even if she didn't have quite their level of raw power, she did have excellent chakra control and even better aim.

The large purple dragon takes a step back as black lightning and gouts of fire blast through the air, crushing a building and revealing the battlefield. Sabertooth, some of their strongest members grouped together, shooting everything they had in combination attacks against the enormous dragon that towered over them by at least five stories.

Akane sees the the dragon stagger back and decides to take her chance. It might be a dragon, but it's eyes should still be vulnerable. So she expels a giant fireball from her mouth while trying to remain hidden behind a building. Aiming it for the beast's left eye.

If she could partially blind it, that might help. "It will be in enough pain they can get a betters hot in." That and if Akane could completely blind it, well that would be even better.

The dragon turns its head towards the human, swatting the fireball to the side, only for it to explode right next to its eye. It snorts loudly, shaking its head vigorously to clear away the smoke and residual embers from its eye, and from the claw-like protrusions above and below its face.

"Now!" Smaller beams and blades of light and darkness erupt from the wizards on the ground, pelting the dragon in a fast and furious barrage of magic that aggravates the dragon further, but leaves no more than superficial stains and minute scratches on its hide.

Akane curses in a rather unbecoming manner under her breath. Great. Now, the dragons' face was protected and at best, they were giving it the dragon version of a scrapped knee, she supposed. It was annoyed, but not seriously wounded.

"Do dragons even have chakra points?" She could try targeting those, but Akane had no idea where they were. "There has to be something." At least she had damaged it at least a little, or distracted it so that the dragon slayers could strike it, but it was a far cry from a mortal wound.

As the dragon turns towards the new human on the battlefield, it sneers at her. "Well, well…a woman. I'm sure that you'll taste delicious."

"..." She had no idea how to respond to that. "No, I'm quite certain that I wouldn't taste delicious and that I would give you heartburn." By burning his heart with a Fireball Jutsu. Hmm. That might work.

Though Akane wasn't really in the mood to test that theory. What if it could create armor internally. She really didn't know. Was this dragon being sexist by implying women tasted better than men or was it some sort of compliment. Maybe, she should aim a fireball at his dragonhood and see if that worked. That might be universal.

"Damn it!" This was not the kind of shit that Rogue needed to deal with right now. Why wasn't Akane with her family and Blue Pegasus? "What are you doing here!?"

Looking for him, obviously. "Trying to help you!" She had damaged its eye which was more than they had been able to manage previously. Honestly, he should be thanking her...

Unamused by the humans, the dragon's spiked tail sweeps like a flash of lightning across the battlefield, aiming straight for Akane as Rogue disappears into the shadows.

"Damn it!" She does a roll into the air to try to evade the dragon's attack. "This isn't normal." These dragons were worse than any Summons she had ever encountered. If Rogue and Sting couldn't take them out and they were Dragon Slayers, they might all very well be doomed.

Shadows grab her out of the air, pulling her inside as they sink back into the ground before the dragon's tail comes back around for a second pass. A pass that, like the first, would have leveled a couple of buildings in the process. Pulled away into a world of floating nothingness, where the senses sharpened to their absolute peak.

She looks around in confusion. "W-Where are we ?" Was this where he went when he traveled between shadows? Was this normal for Rogue or had she actually died during the fighting?

"Safe, for a moment or two." Warm, shadowy limbs wrap around her from below or…behind, there was no up or down in this place. "You're in my shadow. I had to pull you in, or Scissor Runner's second pass would have impaled you."

"That thing has a name?" She blinks at that. "Never mind. Its name isn't important now." What was important was that she was apparently still alive and so was Rogue. "Thank you." He probably thought she was a complete fool for interfering.

"Thank me when this is over, and we're all still alive." His voice was a little bitter as the shadows began to lighten, spitting the two of them back out in the midst of Sabertooth's four strongest wizards, now relocated a bit further down the street. "Alright, she's safe." Rogue grimaces at the sight of the dragon. "The question is, how the hell do we bring that thing down…?"

Sting grins back at his partner, excitement and apprehension alike dancing in his eyes. "Well, I've got one idea. I'm still charged up enough for it, and you've been guzzling shadows ever since the sun went down. We've got enough magic to pull it off."

She wiggles out of Rogue's arms. "Good luck." Maybe, she should lend them chakra? She could do that, but Akane wasn't really sure how compatible chakra was with magic, especially Dragon Slayer magic.

"Yeah…we're going to need it." Rogue's ruby gaze glitters darkly. "Ready." Ready for the shadows to creep up his body, staining his skin black with their power. Black crescent moons litter the skin of his arms, twirling and twisting together over his shoulders and across his back and chest, some hidden by cloak and bandages, some not, and ending in the drak scales that flare up in spikes around his face.

Similarly, Sting's skin is stained white, the skin on the sides of his face bubbling with white scales, extending under his clothes and down his exposed abdominals, to his hips, and back under his clothes. More scales, done in opposition to Rogue's swirls of black, and with a distinctly spikier and more jagged pattern. "Time to show your little girlfriend what happens when the Twin Dragons go all out!"

She was too transfixed by the transformations to debate the label. "That's...new." Akane whispers to herself as she prepares to watch the battle. This was just a type of Jutsu she wasn't able to do. A bloodline of sorts, Akane supposed. One that she simply didn't have and didn't for the life of her understand.

"Not to us." Rogue's dark hair sticks up in all directions, revealing the matching ruby eye, usually left hidden behind his bangs. "This is Dragon Force…" An ultimate form, and usually a last resort.

"Hey, watch out, we've got incoming!" Orga points to the sky, where a multitude of round objects are falling from overhead, from there there's still one dragon aloft, alight with flames on it's back.

"Rogue!" Sting takes a deep breath, turning his gaze towards the sky.

Rogue does the same, breathing deeply, before letting shadows spill from his lips, and erupt into the sky in a roar twice as powerful as the one before, twining itself with the bright roar fired from right beside him. The two beams twist and turn about each other, racing into the sky, and slamming into the objects, scattering them across the sky.

"Dragon Force." Akane would ask about it later. That was of course, assuming they survived. "What are those things?" She watches as round objects fall from the sky. That probably wasn't good. No. She was quite certain that it was the opposite of good really. Though it might not matter. This dragon had to be taken care of before the objects came into play. Whatever they were.

But as Sting and Rogue turned their eyes back on the advancing dragon, the first of the objects began to crack. Eggs. And from them, spilled a miniature horde of snarling, metallic dragon-like creatures. An entire army of them, falling right out of the sky.


End file.
